to think people should be able to 'brag' about their children?

[Adair]

I mean, in my idealistic? world view, all kids are fab and have their individual talents, most kids are pretty special at something.

So why can't parents say 'gosh, my Olivia is fantastic at digging sandcastles, she is really, really fast - she makes them in, like, under a minute' without other parents immediately taking it as an attack on their child who doesn't possess said skill (yet)?

My little girl is great in some areas of achievement/social skills but she can't do things that other children her age-ish can. That's life. I hope to teach her that she might be able to do things other children can, but they will know/do other things first.

My dd DOES not sleep through - even now aged 3. But it doesn't bother me, if other people say 'my baby is sleeping through aged 10 weeks' though I may be .

So AIBU to say CHILL OUT - your child is still fantastic and the BEST to you even if they can't do whatever your friend is supposedly 'bragging'about. You'd probably have something else to brag about anyway.

[Heqet]

I brag about my kids. I can't help it, I am so proud of them! I don't care. Family members get the worst of it but I have been known to be all excited at, say, their LSA over something they've achieved.

When they finally learned to talk, when they finally came out of nappies, the first time they demonstrated that they had empathy...I bragged my bloody head off and why the hell not?!

[mmelindt]

There is a difference between bragging and honestly commenting on your children's abilities.

If I were to say, 'DD is very artistic, she loves to paint and draw and her work with clay is very realistic' that would be true. It is also true that she is the most scatterbrained, untidy child I have ever come across. By the time she reaches the coat cupboard to get her coat, she has forgotten what she is going for.

In contrast telling someone that she is the best in her class and that we have hopes of her going to art school when she is older as she is obviously incredibly talented, then that would make people

It depends on the context. If I were to be asked what kind of person DD is then I would say the first. I would not volunteer the information out of the blue.

DD said to me the other day, 'I am the best climber in the class' and I did not tell her off for bragging as she is incredibly self concious and shy so I was so chuffed that she was bigging herself up.