[coconutmama]

Originally Posted by kendi

No offense taken. Most understand it can get old hearing about the same subject over and over no matter the content.

Bingo!

[airstreamingypsy]

I have a grandchild and a great grandchild, it would never occur to me to talk to people about them, unless they ask. I suppose since I'm not interested in yours, I assume people aren't interested in mine. When people talk about theirs all I hear is blah blah blah blah blah. I think everyone should ask themselves, if what they are talking about is of any interest to the person they are talking to.

[Salty Dog]

Originally Posted by BigSteph

My wife and I decided not to have children.

Same here...

[DonnaNi4os]

How sad that this topic has prompted you to post it here in this forum. I have 8 grandkids and one in Heaven. I also have 3 that are my son-in-law’s that I consider mine as well. If you don’t like hearing about other’s joy I suppose you could walk away. Those of us who talk about our grandkids love them dearly and also miss them. Merry Christmas. Bah humbug

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by CFrance

I usually end up mentioning that our four- and seven-year-old grandchildren are feral. It's a conversation stopper.

ROFLMAO!,,

Please allow me to use that. I'd love to see the look on someone's face. OMG!

[Marmaduke]

Originally Posted by Velvet

When we have socials etc and someone brings up family we have never met, there is a silent response. Very soon they notice and become silent themselves. Or someone else brings up a topic we are all interested in. Now if we happen to know these kids or grandkids because they visit the neighbor, then we are interested!

I was going to say the same exact thing. It's hard to act interested when you have never met ANY or these kids.

I guess some people worlds are small and people talk about what is super important to them.

To hear about 'Billy' playing soccer for his high school this year, when ẃe have never met Billy is okay until it morphs into one story, after another, on every grandkid who no one in our group has ever met is hard to take.

I actually feel the same about people who want everyone to love THEIR dog. It is your Dog, not mine.
No apology- I don't really care about your dog, especially if you dress them up and put them in a baby carriage. We'd rather hear about your "grands". lol

[Barryb46]

We have a rule that limits conversations about grandkids to two and medical issues to one!

[DonnaNi4os]

Originally Posted by JGibson

From a physiological perspective many people use kids, grandkids, homes, cars, social status financial status or any other external thing as a way to validate themselves.

Many of these people grew up in a shame and guilt based environment and may have developed low self esteem and insecurities.

So these external things make them whole and gives them some self validation.

Oh course this doesn't apply to everyone who talks about their grandkids but you quickly tell who is using external things to make themselves feel better.

-Dr Drew.

Dr Drew, grandkids certainly don’t “validate” me. I don’t need anything to do that as I value myself as an individual. When I speak of my kids and my grandkids it is because I am sharing something that brings me joy.There is no “guilt base” or low self esteem, or insecurity. I honestly can’t believe that you wrote this and believe it. When I speak of my family it is simply out of love. And sometimes I talk about the ways they concern me and other times I talk about those things that make me proud. Some people can psychoanalyze just about anything. Geez

[DonnaNi4os]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Erggggg, you hit a major sore spot. The combination of grandkids and my wife are the primary reason I am not able to spend nearly as much time as I would prefer at our Villages home. What is it with women and the need to constantly be around the kids? To make matters worse, the children keep pumping out the little rug rats like the are friggin pez dispensers. And why can’t they all be born on the same day so we don’t have to go to a dam birthday party almost every frikin month of the year? I’m getting tired of the hassle, time, and expense of traveling between our homes because of grandkids. HUMBUG!

How very sad for you

[DonnaNi4os]

Originally Posted by randall55

i am blessed to have friends who love their families. In a world that seems to have gone crazy, it is nice to cozy up and enjoy the simple things. Let the talks of war, disease, politics, keeping up with the jones', and money rest. I prefer to watch a video of a child giggling, any day.

amen!

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by DonnaNi4os

How sad that this topic has prompted you to post it here in this forum. I have 8 grandkids and one in Heaven. I also have 3 that are my son-in-law’s that I consider mine as well. If you don’t like hearing about other’s joy I suppose you could walk away. Those of us who talk about our grandkids love them dearly and also miss them. Merry Christmas. Bah humbug

To mention your kids/grandchildren in passing is one thing. To talk about them endlessly is like listening to someone talk about their money. It gets old real fast. Particularly to those of us who have no children for whatever reason. Imagine that all your your kids were in Heaven, then listening to someone bragging on their kids might even be painful. I'm happy for you, but don't rub it in.

[nob77@comcast.net]

Originally Posted by abbypye

since my partner pat and i settled within the villages, we have been embracing what this community has to offer from its activities to the people that live here. And although we are ever so pleased to mingle with others that we meet day in and day out, we noticed a common thread when others speak to us that still remains since we first came out here some two year before.

When we meet others that are coupled, many (not all) of these married folks tend to tell us (whenever we ask about or not with the emphasis on the latter) about their adult kids with a deep notion about their grandkids! They mention what their kids and their partners/spouses are involved with, and give that heavy emphasis on their grandkids, either with them having them visit from up north/back east, or heading up north/back east to visit them.

When we first mentioned this issue in this forum some time ago, we thought that hearing about their antics would eventually come to pass. What occurred was the total opposite, especially when a major holiday is coming in the near future! Although we do respect that these couples are indeed proud of these grandkids that are part of their life as well as keeping the family legacy alive and well, this notion of hearing this unsolicited news is getting rather long in the tooth!

Has anyone ever experienced a situation that was explained within this post? That is, does anyone encounter those that are coupled up that constantly dote on their grandkids, even though they may reside a long distance away?

Please let me know so i won’t think that i am just dreaming up this scenario!

Many thanks!

smh!!

[Velvet]

Of course people feel proud of their family, but when you are talking about a topic that doesn’t interest the other people, why would you expect them to listen to you? Write it down and later give it to one of your kids who probably would really appreciate it. However, if you can come up with an entertaining story (for the other people) about the grandkids, dogs, etc then go ahead, we’re listening!

[defrey12]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

This a post that I will just have to bite my tongue and ignore.

Me too…

[ffresh]

Originally Posted by Randall55

I am blessed to have friends who love their families. In a world that seems to have gone crazy, it is nice to cozy up and enjoy the simple things. Let the talks of war, disease, politics, keeping up with the Jones', and money rest. I prefer to watch a video of a child giggling, any day.

I have ALWAYS felt that relationships are the most important thing we humans (and animals) have in our lives. Faith, family and friends ... what could be more important during our brief temporal existence? And, yes, "friends" do listen when the conversation turns to these topics. Although I'll grant you some folks don't know when to "zip it"

Fred