eachother's children

[stubbornhubby]

OK back me up on this... I said to my DW that socially men pretty much aren't interested in their friends' children.

Is that right?

Yes deffo, but it's not just men.

Yep.

I think it's very true-my DH can't really be arsed with anyone's but his own and my nephews at a push!

Pretty much.

Is this just for men? I'm a lady with my own kids and can't be mithered with others' off spring. No peering into prams and smiling indulgently, for me. They don't interest me, at all.

LOVE my own to bits though!

I have always been rubbish with children and now that I have my own I am good with them but still rubbish with other people's!

Cute babies are all well and good but if a random child runs over and starts jabbering at me I just stare blankly, then move away slowly....

Kinda makes me feel a bit defective as a woman, we're supposed to be all maternal and stuff aren't we?

extremepie.....!!!!!

That's me! Makes me feel freakish, in some ways but I just think it's an extreme evolutionary thing.....if we divide our attention in "caring" for others' offspring, then what dangers await our own, when we take our eye off the ball!!?

Still think I'm a bit of a freak o'nature, though.

Yes there is just no interest

Yes true, but as others have said true of some women too.....frankly the only child I have time for is my own....

Of course we are only speaking in general terms there will be individuals that do there is a small number of men that work with children after all.

I think it depends on their age, their mood, my mood, and where I am.

I don't hate my friends kids, but when they start screaming, and become the dominant feature of any situation, then that annoys me. But if I'm down the park with friends and their kids (I don't have any yet), then I'm happy to kick a ball around with them etc.

My (male ) dp is the same

Not just men at all. I'm interested in my nieces and nephews and my own DD but otherwise not bothered at all.