I couldn't care less about who's having a chyld!

A brief rant, if you will. Today I was volunteering at church, something I've done for about four years now. All of us in the group are women (you can see where this is going, yes?), and invariably talk turns to who's pregnant, who just had twins in their 40's, etc. I used to be able to shrug it off, but now it's begun to grate on my nerves. Is this the default topic of conversation whenever a group of women are together? :headbrick

I realize church is a bad place for chyld-centric behavior, but these folks are my friends, too. I'd hate to give all that up because of my childfree status--and yes, I've been with hubby a long time. But that doesn't seem to matter because we didn't have sprogs.

Not a church-goer myself, but I can relate to how mind-numbing that type of chatter can be! It seems to happen when women of socially-acceptable childbearing age gather in any sort of group setting. The automatic topics seem to be 1. children, 2. anything child-related, 3. bitching about husbands/boyfriends.

The first two bore me to death, and the third disgusts me. I have certain friends that I will vent to, but I am VERY careful about keeping relationship things as private as possible. I have maybe two friends that I will go to if I am working out a conflict with the spouse. I never bring up private things in a casual, public setting like that. And the tone most women use when in partner-griping mode is very condescending, like he is a child who has to be managed. Ugh.

Oh, and the labor stories! I do not give a rat's ass how long you were grunting and sweating to give birth to little Sneaugh'flayke! I don't care if s/he was caeserian or vaginal birth! I don't care who was there or what they thought of it!

I always, always change the subject. If that doesn't work, and I am not in a position to leave, I tune them out and do my own thing.

I know what you mean. I'm lucky that my group (it's not a church) focuses on supporting and encouraging each, not who is knocked up, how their kids latest stool sample looks etc.

Outside of that, the people at work usually start blabbing about their stupid kids. It's very isolating, so I try to ignore it.

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Someday we'll look back on this moment and plow into a parked car.

Evan Davis

Pretty much at the stage where I drop the inpig, wannamoo/duh, and breeder pleasers even if it means severely reducing activities for or with a certain group. I don't want to hear about who's calving next, or listen to the herd compare the size of their vaginabuttholes or other gross out piggo stories.

Probably the reason I only have 3 female friends, 2 CF and 1 childless by choice.

I just can't with the baby/kid talk. I find it so mind numbingly boring. I just glaze over and tune it out...and make a mental note to avoid those people in the future.