# Bringing new baby into work to show colleagues



## liaconn (22 Feb 2011)

I've just seen an argument on another forum about people bringing their new baby into work to show it off to colleagues. It seems to drive some people mad. I don't have an issue with it and think it's a nice custom. How do other people feel?


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## ney001 (22 Feb 2011)

liaconn said:


> I've just seen an argument on another forum about people bringing their new baby into work to show it off to colleagues. It seems to drive some people mad. I don't have an issue with it and think it's a nice custom. How do other people feel?



As long as it's a one off I wouldn't mind. Nothing is as boring to me as other people's kids and all the clucking and ooohhing and ahhhhing that goes with it - that said even I could make nice if they brought in new baby to work - Just the once mind you!


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## Mpsox (22 Feb 2011)

I'm going to have to bring my new smallie into work at some stage in the near future. Number of reasons for it, partially because a lot of the women in the office keep asking me and asking to see pics/updates and partially because I went home with a boot load of pressies and vouchers from them, (bless em) so I think it is good for us as a family to come in and say thanks on a personal level


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## Ciaraella (22 Feb 2011)

I think it's a lovely thing to do, just the once and with a new baby, 
after all most offices will give a card of a baby present so it's nice to bring the baby in


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## truthseeker (22 Feb 2011)

It makes me feel awkward. Im the only female in an all male department and sometimes people from other departments give me a shout because someone has brought their new baby in and they assume because Im a woman that Ill be interested.

Im not.

Ive zero interest in peoples babies. I dont 'get' the oohing and aahing thing. It makes me feel a bit like Dexter - I just dont know what Im supposed to do (I dont feel like a serial killer btw - I just feel awkward because I dont know what to do).

Id be happier admiring a photo 

That said perhaps Im a weirdo because I cringe to almighty heaven when friends insist their children kiss me goodbye. I shudder internally and find myself driving off scrubbing at my face/lips and am completely grossed out by it. 

Its because mostly the children are a bit drooly. Gross factor a million for me.

Which is strange because anyones dog could drool all over me and it wouldnt bother me at all - its just the human saliva, bits of food around the mouth and wet fingers that have been in the mouth trying to grab onto my hair etc that freaks me out.


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## Vanilla (22 Feb 2011)

I love it when people do this. I love babies.


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## Caveat (22 Feb 2011)

truthseeker said:


> I just dont know what Im supposed to do


 
I'm OK with other peoples kids but I guess it's a lot easier as a male to be more distant and non-committal about the oohing & aahing. I have a few standard responses:

"Ah look at him/her. Who do you reckon s/he's more like? Most babies look the same to me anyway (deliberate malebased self-deprecation - usually gets a laugh) Big enough isn't he/her? ("Enough" is important in case you are interpreted as claiming the baby is fat or something)...and then usually just one of those wry "it's all ahead of you" type of comments, and off I go. 3 minutes tops.

New parents are very excited usually - just polite to engage a bit IMO.


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## truthseeker (22 Feb 2011)

Caveat said:


> New parents are very excited usually - just polite to engage a bit IMO.


 
Oh I do engage, and use roughly similar chit chat as you have outlined - but I guess I feel awkward as I see other women *feeling *some kind of genuine gushy emotion, and I just dont feel it, then I think Ill be caught out in my non gushyness and arouse suspicion that Im really a robot or something or just some weird male female because I dont get the gushy feeling. So the whole experience makes me feel awkward!


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## horusd (22 Feb 2011)

I wear glasses and it's the first thing they go for with their sticky germ laden mits. When I hear one bawlin out of it, all I can say to the parents (apart from a deeply sympathetic look ) is "my don't they have a great pair of lungs! Small kids should be kept in a cat box, bless their little cotton socks


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## Betsy Og (22 Feb 2011)

Wouldnt have any problem with it, but then again I wouldnt be expected to be that interested. 

Have brought our own kids in when they were in town with Ma, but wouldnt do a big tour, just the few people I work closely with..... so they know your baby related excuses are at least potentially plausible


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## Staples (22 Feb 2011)

truthseeker said:


> I cringe to almighty heaven when friends insist their children kiss me goodbye. I shudder internally and find myself driving off scrubbing at my face/lips and am completely grossed out by it.


 
So you're not sure then?


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## DB74 (22 Feb 2011)

Ah, the importance of correct puncuation. You missed a quotation mark which put the ****s up me frankly!



horusd said:


> I wear glasses and it's the first thing they go for with their sticky germ laden mits. When I hear one ballin out of it, all I can say to the parents (apart from a deeply sympathetic look ) is "my don't they have a great pair of lungs! Small kids should be kept in a cat box, bless their little cotton socks


 
Should your "end-quotation" mark have been after "lungs", in which case you're in the clear:



horusd said:


> "my don't they have a great pair of lungs!*"* Small kids should be kept in a cat box, bless their little cotton socks


 
or after socks, in which case you've made a little compliment thingy which is kind of OK:



horusd said:


> "my don't they have a great pair of lungs! Small kids should be kept in a cat box, bless their little cotton socks"


 
or after box, in which case the gardai & ISPCC are on the way 



horusd said:


> "my don't they have a great pair of lungs! Small kids should be kept in a cat box", bless their little cotton socks


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## huskerdu (22 Feb 2011)

I have heard it said that children are like farts, you can put up with your own, it's everyone elses you can't stand.


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## horusd (22 Feb 2011)

LOL   @ DB74, sorry bout that !  I love the little blighters really. Just as well, they'll be pushin my wheelchair around in 40 yrs or so, don't want to encourage any "issues" they might feel could be sorted by letting off on the break near a steep hill.


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## truthseeker (22 Feb 2011)

Staples said:


> So you're not sure then?


 
lol - I think Im pretty sure


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## liaconn (22 Feb 2011)

truthseeker said:


> Oh I do engage, and use roughly similar chit chat as you have outlined - but I guess I feel awkward as I see other women *feeling *some kind of genuine gushy emotion, and I just dont feel it, then I think Ill be caught out in my non gushyness and arouse suspicion that Im really a robot or something or just some weird male female because I dont get the gushy feeling. So the whole experience makes me feel awkward!


 
I wouldn't worry about it. I'm one of those people who's all 'oh, can I hold her' 'she's goooorgeous'  but I know I'm probably in the minority and a lot of people are just making polite comments. I wouldn't really think anything about it or judge them.


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## truthseeker (22 Feb 2011)

liaconn said:


> I wouldn't worry about it. I'm one of those people who's all 'oh, can I hold her' 'she's goooorgeous' but I know I'm probably in the minority and a lot of people are just making polite comments. I wouldn't really think anything about it or judge them.


 
Thanks Liaconn. 

People have commented (and not nicely) on my complete lack of interest in kids on occasion. It used to make me very defensive when I was younger but as Ive gotten older and wiser I dont really care.


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## Yorrick (22 Feb 2011)

As long as they don't bring in photos of its nappies or even a sample it should be allright.


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## becky (22 Feb 2011)

I have no interest in babies at all, never did.  All the staff in my office have grown up kids so we don't have the visitors.  I don't even leave my office to go to the office next door to ohh and ahh. e did have young one who was coming in weekly for about 2 months and even the nosiest wans lost interest.  

Same goes about standing round a PC looking at OP's wedding pics, no interest.  I endured the 5 mins in front of a PC last year looking at someones daughter, never met this girl.  A massive wedding album was brought in 6 months later.

I refused to give up any more time so put the bag on the floor with a loud mumble of "Did I not stand round the PC and see these already".  There was a`puss for a few weeks but they got over it.  Felt a bit of a bitch but I never asked to see them.


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## horusd (22 Feb 2011)

> Same goes about standing round a PC looking at OP's wedding pics, no interest. I endured the 5 mins in front of a PC last year looking at someones daughter, never met this girl. A massive wedding album was brought in 6 months later.


 

....I take it you weren't invited to watch the wedding video?


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## becky (22 Feb 2011)

horusd said:


> ....I take it you weren't invited to watch the wedding video?



There is a God.


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## AgathaC (22 Feb 2011)

vanilla said:


> i love it when people do this. I love babies.


 +1.


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## Wishes (22 Feb 2011)

Who will ever forget the day some TD from the Greens brought their kid to work.  They spoke about it for over an hour on Joe Duffy!

Seriously though I think its very unprofessional.  I remember last year I was called in for a meeting with one of the banks head offices in the city centre.  Here's me sitting like a bunch of nerves waiting to be called in when all I could hear was gooing and gaaing from behind the door.  I was left sitting like a lemon while the staff went stupid over a colleagues new baby.


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## Betsy Og (23 Feb 2011)

Didnt follow the coverage on that conference on the greens but it was a bit odd/inappropriate for any of the following reasons: 1. unnecessary distraction, 2. what was the point, 3. was it some cynical plot to get favour/lessen criticism and, if so, bad form to be using a baby for that purpose.

Overall people need to understand that, apart from close friends, the attention span of others for your personal life or family is very short .... unless of course there's scandal when they would probably devote a day to picking over the juicy details....    Its best to be a bit cynical, leads to less dissappointment with people.


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## Boyd (23 Feb 2011)

Its totally unnecessary, I immediately reach for my headphones and actually do some work whenever it happens. Its only people that have children themselves who seem to care/show any interest.

Also


Mpsox said:


> I'm going to have to bring my new smallie into work....



Ugh, "Smallie" is almost as annoying as "Hubbie"


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## ney001 (23 Feb 2011)

username123 said:


> Ugh, "Smallie" is almost as annoying as "Hubbie"



haha +1 

I'll just add yummy to that list!


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## Boyd (23 Feb 2011)

However if combined with mummy.....


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## Mpsox (23 Feb 2011)

username123 said:


> Its totally unnecessary, I immediately reach for my headphones and actually do some work whenever it happens. Its only people that have children themselves who seem to care/show any interest.
> 
> Also
> 
> ...


 
It's a Cork phrase, each to their own


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## liaconn (23 Feb 2011)

I hate the phrase yummy mummy. Almost as bad as mothers describing other mothers as 'mummy friends'.


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## Sunny (23 Feb 2011)

I don't really see the point. ONE picture will do be nicely. Even worse when the baby is not exactly a looker and you have to think on your feet of something nice to say.


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## PaddyW (23 Feb 2011)

truthseeker said:


> Which is strange because anyones dog could drool all over me and it wouldnt bother me at all - its just the human saliva, bits of food around the mouth and wet fingers that have been in the mouth trying to grab onto my hair etc that freaks me out.



I had to laugh at that, I'll take the human saliva any day, thanks. God knows where the dogs mouth has been, on parts of their anatomy, on parts of other dogs anatomies.. Ugh!


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## liaconn (23 Feb 2011)

Sunny said:


> I  Even worse when the baby is not exactly a looker and you have to think on your feet of something nice to say.


 
That really made me laugh. I just keep thinking of a big, baldy baby waiting to hear a compliment.


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## ney001 (23 Feb 2011)

To be fair I don't think the babies are too much of a problem, to me the slightly older toddlers are a pain in the ass! - a friend of mine has a girl she's about 5 now and god forgive me but I have to stifle the urge to say something nasty to her or worse give her a good smack! - absolute brat who has to be the centre of attention all the time and I seem to be the only one who doesn't find her amusing or entertaining - I just find her irritating and vain, she's like one of those stage kids but other people stand around laughing and smiling! - maybe it's just me, or maybe the other people are really good actors!


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## Staples (23 Feb 2011)

liaconn said:


> Almost as bad as mothers describing other mothers as 'mummy friends'.


 
I've never heard that phrase before but I hate it already.


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## truthseeker (23 Feb 2011)

PaddyW said:


> I had to laugh at that, I'll take the human saliva any day, thanks. God knows where the dogs mouth has been, on parts of their anatomy, on parts of other dogs anatomies.. Ugh!


 
lol PaddyW - god knows where a babies hand has been, on parts of their anatomy, then into the mouth, then touching your face - eeeeuuuurrrrhhhh!!!


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## Purple (23 Feb 2011)

Staples said:


> I've never heard that phrase before but I hate it already.



+1
Yummy Mummy is fine. So is MILF but that's for a thread all on its own.


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## Mouldy (23 Feb 2011)

I nearly stood on someones anklebiter one day at work. She had brought the child in and let it crawl around the canteen, I didn't see her or the little one and nearly stood on its head! The mother was paying no attention and was surrounded by colleagues nodding sagely at her opinions on looking after a child.


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## horusd (23 Feb 2011)

Sunny said:


> I don't really see the point. ONE picture will do be nicely. Even worse when the baby is not exactly a looker and you have to think on your feet of something nice to say.


 
Classic !


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## mtk (23 Feb 2011)

i think if u have chikdren of ur own a man might be interested but its of interest to single males


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## Niallman (24 Feb 2011)

mtk said:


> i think if u have chikdren of ur own a man might be interested but its of interest to single males


 
Huh?!


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## liaconn (24 Feb 2011)

ney001 said:


> To be fair I don't think the babies are too much of a problem, to me the slightly older toddlers are a pain in the ass! - a friend of mine has a girl she's about 5 now and god forgive me but I have to stifle the urge to say something nasty to her or worse give her a good smack! - absolute brat who has to be the centre of attention all the time and I seem to be the only one who doesn't find her amusing or entertaining - I just find her irritating and vain, she's like one of those stage kids but other people stand around laughing and smiling! - maybe it's just me, or maybe the other people are really good actors!


 
I suspect they're just good actors. They're probably wondering how you can stick her as well. Nothing worse than a precocious brat whose mother encourages her to be the centre of attention.


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## rustbucket (24 Feb 2011)

It doesnt bother me personally  but a workplace is a workplace. Some people find it very distracting and some people find it very uncomfortable. You should not put people in that position.

I walked into the staff common room a couple of times to get a cup of tea and there was an employee (on maternity leave) breast feeding her kid there. 

Very awkward!


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## zxcvbnm (25 Feb 2011)

I don't get why people want to bring family members into the office to show them off.

I brought my brother in one day to show him to people (He's 30) and suddenly i'm being told it's inappropriate.

DOuble standards or what !


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## Caveat (25 Feb 2011)

LOL - post of the week!


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## Staples (25 Feb 2011)

zxcvbnm said:


> I brought my brother in one day to show him to people (He's 30) and suddenly i'm being told it's inappropriate.


 
Was he being breast fed at the time?


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## Complainer (25 Feb 2011)

rustbucket said:


> I walked into the staff common room a couple of times to get a cup of tea and there was an employee (on maternity leave) breast feeding her kid there.
> 
> Very awkward!



I don't see why this is awkward. Many women will breastfeed discretly in public places - shouldn't be any fuss or drama involved. It's just a breast - it's not going to bite you.

On the broader issue, I did find it very difficult to deal with a constant flow of new babies into the office at a time when we were going through fertility issues and IVF. I remember having to hide in the loo at one stage. 

Having said that, I wouldn't expect anyone to hold back for that reason, and I did bring our own into the office at one stage.


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## Purple (25 Feb 2011)

Complainer said:


> I we were going through fertility issues and IVF. I remember having to hide in the loo at one stage.



Best of luck with that Complainer. Most people don't appreciate the emotional impact the times it doesn't work. Indeed, it is an extremely emotional time for both parents and very physically hard on the mother.


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## Thirsty (2 Mar 2011)

> I love babies.


So do I, but I couldn't eat a whole one...


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