Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Overheard

... at the cafe down the road this morning:

Obnoxious pregnant mother of toddler daughter: "Oh no, we didn't find out what we're having ... and anyway I'm pretty certain I'm having a boy. Either way I win; either I'm right or, even better, it's another girl. So I hope I'm wrong."

Also overheard at work:

When a pregnant colleague announced she was having a girl, people clapped. I'm serious. They actually clapped.

I'm sorry, but on behalf of mothers of beautiful little boys everywhere, I would like to slap these women (it's only women who persist with this sexist crap).

Hard.

Does anyone else get this reaction? I seem to strike it all the time and quite frankly it infuriates me.

10 comments:

Super Sarah said...

Strange, its the opposite for me actually, I won't admit it but I secretly hope and suspect this baby is a boy. Its not that I would be disappointed with another girl at all, I just would like the chance to parent a boy too. So I get the obnoxious mum saying she wins either way which is why she didn't find out, because thats exactly what we say, we have no preference so didn't need to find out the sex, either way we will be thrilled!

kurrabikid said...

I totally understand your point of view - because I think you probably ARE happy to have either. But this awful woman went on to tell her friends about how "girls are so much easier" and "boys are such hard work". I just hear so much negative stuff about little boys that it makes me angry. Since when did having a boy mean you've lost the genetic lottery? It sure doesn't feel like that to me.

Mary said...

I had two boys and when pregnant again just assume I was having a boy - I thought I made a very fine breeder of boys. I loved the idea of three boys growing up around me.

I had a girl - she is my darling but we certainly did not get pregnant to have a girl - we just wanted another baby!

Jess said...

My oldest is a boy, and when I got pregnant the second time, we decided to find out the sex early. When people found out I was going to have a girl, they started telling me that I would have the 'Million Dollar Family.'

Um.

Which is great, and I am lucky to have two healthy kids, but why would my family be worth any less if I didn't have one of each???

M said...

I haven't found this reaction - only the parents who are trying for a girl or a boy after two or three of the other sex.

However, this kind of talk infuriates me too. I can't imagine having a preference. Unless maybe I had 5 girls and was waiting for the elusive boy...

KPB said...

DUDE - I have four boys. I had a checkout person at Woolies tell me I was LYING when I said I was not hoping (what was to be Grover) it was a girl. LYING!

People on an almost daily basis say to me 'oh you poor poor thing'.

I want to bitch slap them too.

But instead I take comfort in being smug at how being the mum to four boys ROCKS.

And how they will never know just how much.

The Amazing Trips said...

As the mom of 2 girls and 2 boys, I could see having another of EITHER sex. Although, I will say, I ADORE MY LITTLE BOYS. Not more than my girls, of course, but my God they are so precious in their own special way.

As cliche as it sounds > what any parent should be aiming for is a HEALTHY baby. The gender of that baby is purely secondary. Actually, tertiary. I think secondary should be a keen ability of that baby to sleep easily and soundly. :)

Stacey said...

I remember people giving my sympathetic smiles when our second boy was born. The amount of times I was asked if we would try for a girl was unbelievable.
It is infuriating.
I do secretly pick out outfits for a fantasy daughter in shops as there's such a bigger choice.

Duyvken said...

I haven't noticed people being down on others having boys. Maybe the woman in the cafe was just being positive about whatever outcome and the women in the office would probably have clapped if she'd announced she was having a boy. When I was pregnant with our 4th everyone was hoping we'd have a boy and assumed we'd really be hoping to have a boy because we already had 2 girls and 1 boy. I never did get why they thought we'd be disappointed if things weren't 'even'. People sure can be strange!
And Kim, people tell me 'poor thing' all the time too, I think they just think I'm insane for having 4 kids irrespective of what their genders are.

Stomper Girl said...

I think having two boys rocks and I hoped desperately when pregnant for the first time that we would get a boy. But I knew that whatever came out at the end of nine months would be exactly what we wanted. I think if you have strong feelings about which gender you want you shouldn't find out before the birth. Why ruin your pregnancy? Because you will absolutely love the little bundle you get, whatever its sex.