People bringing new babies into work?

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on this? Where I work now the tradition is to bring the baby up to the kitchen/canteen area and cakes are bought to mark the occasion. That way people who are interested in meeting the baby and holding it etc can spend as long as they like with him/her; people who aren't that interested but want to be polite can drop in for a couple of minutes to say congratulations and then disappear; and people who are up to their eyes or feeling a bit sensitive on the issue of babies or, I suppose, not the least bit interested, can just avoid the whole thing.
I have worked in places though where a new mum would spend half the morning wheeling the buggy in and out of every department, or sitting around an open plan area for hours feeding, winding, letting the baby cry etc. even when people were trying to work or make telephone calls. I never minded the distraction myself , but looking back now I wonder if some colleagues were really annoyed by it.

Robbo

"Look what I made!"

Ihatecuddles

Kevin Bridges said it perfectly. There's a new baby and everyone passes it round like a joint!!

WilyCoyote

No! Look what I half made but fully incubated. There fyp!

Shiraz 4.99

Pet hate of mine, worse than Hitler to a man, & you have to roll out the platitudes about how beautiful their scrumped up little chimp is.
Congratulations on having unprotected sex & reproduction working by design, fancy that.

Neyite

It depends on the work environment to be honest.

I brought in cakes as a thank-you for the card and collection. I brought my baby in, but only into the immediate colleagues I work with, at break time, and fcuked off soon after. If the child had started crying I'd have left immediately. No one wants that.

Not everyone thinks your spawn is as amazing as you do. Some new parents forget this.

rustedtrumpet

Put a suit on that baby, hes hired.

Catphish

Hadlee Yellow Bee wrote: »

a new mum would spend half the morning wheeling the buggy in and out of every department, or sitting around an open plan area for hours feeding, winding, letting the baby cry etc.

I've seen people bringing their new babies to work for a quick show off, but I've never seen it to that extent. Hours? What??

bee06

Catphish wrote: »

I've seen people bringing their new babies to work for a quick show off, but I've never seen it to that extent. Hours? What??

Yeah, that's a bit strange. Where I work we'd get a quick visit and if the baby starts crying then it's out the door.

BraziliaNZ

They all do it in the civil service, I used to hide in the jacks until it was gone, or find some work in the storage room. I can't believe the audacity of some people thinking anyone gives a sh*t about their stupid baby or wants to see it.

Franticfrank

I never really got what all the excitement was about. Babies all look the same, bald and fat like old men.

SEPT 23 1989

a lot of baby haters in the house:eek:

Alf Veedersane

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

They all do it in the civil service, I used to hide in the jacks until it was gone, or find some work in the storage room. I

They don't bite, you know.

Or if they do, they don't have any teeth so it's painless.

iDave

Seems like an excuse for women to get away from their desk and leave the men to answer all the phone calls. Especially annoying in a call centre environment.
All things considered its the extra breaks smokers get to take that aren't even designated that annoys me more. Its a daily annoyance instead of the occasional baby.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

iDave wrote: »

Seems like an excuse for women to get away from their desk and leave the men to answer all the phone calls. Especially annoying in a call centre environment.
All things considered its the extra breaks smokers get to take that aren't even designated that annoys me more. Its a daily annoyance instead of the occasional baby.

I have to say, I do get a laugh when I see men sheepishly trying to think of something to say while desperately trying to work out if the baby is a boy or a girl.

Malari

If a baby is brought in to the kitchen I'll usually avoid the area until it's gone. The last time, I knew the mother though, so went in to see her for a few minutes.

If people brought in their new pets I'd be down there like a rocket though

lertsnim

Congratulations on doing what gazillions of women have done before you.

smcgiff

lertsnim wrote: »

Congratulations on doing what gazillions of women have done before you.

Yeah, like you should take an interest in a major life altering event in your colleague's life. What's that all about?

anncoates

Wouldn't bring in kids myself but if I know the person, I'll go over a say Hi and see the baby for a minute or two. No big deal. People with their new(especially first) babies tend to be a bit caught up in it all which is natural and I wouldn't begrudge them.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

In fairness, the new mother often just brings the baby in to see those people she works closely with. It's sometimes an over excited colleague who starts carting the baby in and out of people's offices, hijacking the child so the mother can't leave for ages.

anncoates

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

a lot of baby haters in the house:eek:

Based on my experience (I and 95% of my mates have kids), the ones that are the most vocal about hating other people's kids eventually turn into the most insufferable obsessives about their own.

silly

I brought my baby into my place of work after I had him, i brought treats for my colleagues. I didnt stay long. I only met with people I was close to, I didnt do a tour of the building. It was nice to see them and I know they were happy to see me. I love it when someone brings in a new baby, and its not just because i'm a mom. Having a baby is not just "having unprotected sex & reproduction working by design"

tigger123

Hadlee Yellow Bee wrote: »

I have to say, I do get a laugh when I see men sheepishly trying to think of something to say while desperately trying to work out if the baby is a boy or a girl.

You can sidestep all that by just saying " Great baby, well done" and giving the new Mum a hearty slap on the back.

BraziliaNZ

anncoates wrote: »

Based on my experience (I and 95% of my mates have kids), the ones that are the most vocal about hating other people's kids eventually turn into the most insufferable obsessives about their own.

Should I ever have kids I think I'll keep my constant bullsh*t about them to myself. You're not special, we've been reproducing since the dawn of the Earth that's how we're here today, get over yourselves. Constantly showing pictures here to each other of their stupid babies in a new outfit or something. They all look the same. The arrival of smartphones etc has made it even more unbearable as they have new videos and media to show you ever day of their little bastard darlings.

anncoates

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Should I ever have kids I think I'll keep my constant bullsh*t about them to myself.

That's what they said.

Endlessly.

vitani

lertsnim wrote: »

Congratulations on doing what gazillions of women have done before you.

So I presume you never bother to congratulate people who get engaged, married, promoted or land a new job either. And sure, why sympathise with someone who's just been bereaved - gazillions of people have died before their family member.

smcgiff

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Should I ever have kids I think I'll keep my constant bullsh*t about them to myself. You're not special, we've been reproducing since the dawn of the Earth that's how we're here today, get over yourselves. Constantly showing pictures here to each other of their stupid babies in a new outfit or something. They all look the same. The arrival of smartphones etc has made it even more unbearable as they have new videos and media to show you ever day of their little bastard darlings.

If you got a brand new car would you have any mates at work that you'd have an interest in showing in the company car park during working day?

Legs.Eleven

Baby-hating is really in vogue, isn't it?

Welsh Megaman

Hadlee Yellow Bee wrote: »

In fairness, the new mother often just brings the baby in to see those people she works closely with. It's sometimes an over excited colleague who starts carting the baby in and out of people's offices, hijacking the child so the mother can't leave for ages.

I'm also wondering if it's down to once one mother brings their baby into work, that everybody else FEELS they have to, too.

Dolbert

Malari wrote: »

If people brought in their new pets I'd be down there like a rocket though

The manager at my old job brought in his new Labrador puppy once. Best day ever!

Meh, I don't see why the baby visit bothers people so much It's nice to catch up with your colleague after a few months if nothing else.

OldNotWIse

vitani wrote: »

So I presume you never bother to congratulate people who get engaged, married, promoted or land a new job either. And sure, why sympathise with someone who's just been bereaved - gazillions of people have died before their family member.

Would they come into work with their dead relatives ashes or a copy of their new contract and expect other people to respond?

Malari

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Baby-hating is really in vogue, isn't it?

I don't hate them at all. I'm just completely indifferent.

SEPT 23 1989

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Should I ever have kids I think I'll keep my constant bullsh*t about them to myself. You're not special, we've been reproducing since the dawn of the Earth that's how we're here today, get over yourselves. Constantly showing pictures here to each other of their stupid babies in a new outfit or something. They all look the same. The arrival of smartphones etc has made it even more unbearable as they have new videos and media to show you ever day of their little bastard darlings.

you wont know what way you will go on after you have a child of your own

it changes everything

Muise...

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Baby-hating is really in vogue, isn't it?

It's more smug parent-hating, particularly the ones who think they're the only ones to ever get it right.

Legs.Eleven

Malari wrote: »

I don't hate them at all. I'm just completely indifferent.

I wasn't singling you out though.

Gambas

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Baby-hating is really in vogue, isn't it?

It's not the babies they hate. The hate adults who are very happy in a way that they cannot be.

Red Kev

I don't think people hate babies here. The problem is, as one poster above said, when certain people decide to take 3 hours off to congratulate the mother on the baby, and when she is gone they spend until knocking off time chatting about the baby. This means that the workload falls onto other people as the same jobs have to be done regardless.

I think the grips is more that the same people use any excuse to skive off for an hour or 5, leaving others to do their share of the job, and cooing over a baby is just another example of how they use any excuse for a doss off.. Yes, some people bring the baby in for 30 mins and are gone, others strive on the attention and make more than a half day out of it.

SEPT 23 1989

Muise... wrote: »

It's more smug parent-hating, particularly the ones who think they're the only ones to ever get it right.

smug?

When everything goes right in a pregnancy and you are blessed with a healthy child you want to celebrate that with the world

OldNotWIse

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

you wont know what way you will go on after you have a child of your own

it changes everything

This I know plenty of people who have had babies and not managed to be totally consumed by them, lose their own identity and wreck their colleagues heads.

If I'd a euro for every time I hear some condescending "you'll know when you have one yourself" or "you couldnt possibly understand, you're not a mother" I'd be rich. My mum even got it from an ex friend when she became a Granny - "you love them more than your own you know" - the new craze - grandchild obsession. Some of the ones where I am are not quite ready to accept their age, and yack on about their grandchildren as if they are their own. By all means be a grandparent but dont try to take over. Said friend also reacted weirdly when her daughter told her she might emmigrate for work - "oh thats fine dear I dont mind, but leave the little man with me and your dad"....:(

Dublin_Mom

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

you wont know what way you will go on after you have a child of your own

it changes everything

It does change everything...in my experience it makes you even less tolerant of other peoples kids...Perhaps because you have way more exposure to them (play dates , birthday parties, school /creche etcetc)

years ago a work colleague told me ' i love my own kids, but cannot stand anyone elses'

I (in my childless state) thought he was strange, but now I know EXACTLY what he means

Malari

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I wasn't singling you out though.

I know, I was just commenting.

Muise...

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

smug?

When everything goes right in a pregnancy and you are blessed with a healthy child you want to celebrate that with the world

Lucky you, you haven't met preachy lifestyle mama.

fortwilliam

silly wrote: »

I brought my baby into my place of work after I had him, i brought treats for my colleagues. I didnt stay long. I only met with people I was close to, I didnt do a tour of the building. It was nice to see them and I know they were happy to see me. I love it when someone brings in a new baby, and its not just because i'm a mom. Having a baby is not just "having unprotected sex & reproduction working by design"

Oh god.....

Gambas

Gambas wrote: »

The hate adults who are very happy in a way that they cannot be.

Ah now stop. That's one of the most passive aggressive inflammatory posts I've seen here in quite a while.

Aglomerado

I don't mind the babies. It's the "wans" who screech and coo LOUDLY at them "AAA SHE'S JUST LIKE HER MOTHER!!!!" ad infinitum for two hours. They are a hundred times worse!

Legs.Eleven

Muise... wrote: »

It's more smug parent-hating, particularly the ones who think they're the only ones to ever get it right.

I don't think bringing your kid to work to show your colleagues who you might consider to be your friends as a smug act necessarily. Many people are just very proud of their babies as they're probably the most amazing things to have ever happened to them. I don't have kids but I get it. The assumption that parents are smug just cos they put up photos of their kids on Facebook or bring their babies into work to show some of their friends/work colleagues is not really fair and I think I'm more fed up with the vitriol against it tbh.

Some parents are unbearably smug alright but most aren't.

OldNotWIse

Gambas wrote: »

It's not the babies they hate. The hate adults who are very happy in a way that they cannot be.

Are you for real? You think people who dont have babies are not happy? Condescending post of the year.

OldNotWIse

Aglomerado wrote: »

I don't mind the babies. It's the "wans" who screech and coo at them "AAA SHE'S JUST LIKE HER MOTHER!!!!" ad infinitum for two hours. They are a hundred times worse!

...and then you realise its a boy Some women here react the same way when cupcakes or bags of chips are brought in. It's like things that are normal outside suddenly take on a weird superpower inside...

Merkin

I think it's OK as long as it's not really disruptive and you bring them in at break time AND more importantly if people are actually interested in meeting the little one!

I worked with a toxic harridan a few years ago who had twins and brought the two inbreds into a very busy office and was passing them around like black market currency.....someone offered me a hold and I might as well have been offered a tube of plutonium....no WAY, why would people assume Im going to like her children any more than I like her?

And Im pregnant by the way so I am resolutely not a baby hater, I think people shouldn't force their kids on people who really aren't interested in them and consequently their offspring.

Muise...

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I don't think bringing your kid to work to show your colleagues who you might consider to be your friends as a smug act necessarily. Many people are just very proud of their babies as they're probably the most amazing things to have ever happened to them. I don't have kids but I get it. The assumption that parents are smug just cos they put up photos of their kids on Facebook or bring their babies into work to show some of their friends/work colleagues is not really fair and I think I'm more fed up with the vitriol against it tbh.

Some parents are unbearably smug alright but most aren't.

No, what I meant was the excruciating one-up-mumship I've seen happen at such events. Only rarely, but enough to give me gripe.

davo2001

I don't understand it to be honest. Work is work, if people want to go and see a new baby then go to the fcuking Christening!