How much do you talk about your LOs at work?

Helenahhandbasket

About a month ago, we moved floors at work.  They combined two floors into one, and my floor was the one to physically move.  Fine.

Because of the move, I am now sitting with a group of co-workers that I have not ever sat with/ worked near before.  Also fine. 

Yesterday, I was having a small talk type of conversation with one of my CWs in response to a company wide email we rec'd about dressing up for halloween (they're permitting it-- I work in a "creative" corporate setting) and I said something about barely having enough time to get DD's costume together, let alone mine.

CW's eyes went wide and said "wait-- you have a kid?  I have never heard you ever mention your kid before."  For some reason-- that made me feel  crappy/ bad/ guilty.  I guess I don't really talk much about her at work.  I mean, I have a few pictures of her in my cube, and if she does something really funny or cute I will share, but that's it.  Most of my co workers do not have kids, so I assume too much kid talk is boring.  Hell, I do have a kid and I think most kid talk is boring.

So, is it odd that I barely mention DD at work?  LMK.

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Libby1978

I talk about my kids at work, but I don't think it's odd that you don't.  Plus you've been on a different floor than these people up until recently, so when would you have talked to them about your kid anyway?

Helenahhandbasket

Libby1978 said:

I talk about my kids at work, but I don't think it's odd that you don't.  Plus you've been on a different floor than these people up until recently, so when would you have talked to them about your kid anyway?

No I wouldn't have ever-- but this one woman seemed shocked that we had been sitting next to each other for a month and didn't realize I had a DD. 

She does have kids, fwiw-- at least 2 of them. 

aforst

I talk about my kids at work a lot.  But, there are only 3 of us in my office.  My boss has kids so we talk a lot.  My co-worker doesn't, but he knows my kids so I do talk to him about them.

I don't think it's weird not to though.  I think it depends on the office and the coworkers.

Libby1978

Helenahhandbasket said:

Libby1978 said:

I talk about my kids at work, but I don't think it's odd that you don't.  Plus you've been on a different floor than these people up until recently, so when would you have talked to them about your kid anyway?

No I wouldn't have ever-- but this one woman seemed shocked that we had been sitting next to each other for a month and didn't realize I had a DD. 

She does have kids, fwiw-- at least 2 of them. 

Well, I am one of those people that takes a good while to warm up to people.  So, I could probably work with someone for a month and not get into my personal life with them.

LuckyDad

I have a zillion pics up, talk kids ALL THE TIME with those who have kids of similiar or slightly older age, and have a work friend who is a slightly older woman who gobbles up any new details about DS as if he was her own nephew.

Nechie122

My new boss didn't know I had a kid until we had been working together for several months. I'm very cautious about not wanting to "mommy track" myself.

The only time I'll bring her up is with a few coworkers who also have toddlers, if we're making small talk.

ETA: My male coworkers coworkers have always talked about their kids a lot more than my female ones. And I wonder if it goes back to the studies that show fathers are perceived as more valuable/stable/reliable in the workplace and mothers less so. DH will be presenting at a conference and include a picture of DD in his PowerPoint slides and I would NEVER do that.

Pips09

I'd say she comes up a couple of times a month. Not very often. Unless I bring a new photo of her for my office, in which case I get a lot of comments about how big she is and asking how she is doing.

JackoftheBox

I talk about DS a lot. But there are many girls in my office that have kids his age. Also a majority of them all go to the same daycare.

Don't feel guilty, and I don't think it's odd that you don't.

theimpossibleastronaut

I talk about DD a lot. I work for a really small company, so I talk about her with my friends a bunch.

If we're in a group talking, I just go with the conversation though and don't usually bring her up unless someone else does.

Helenahhandbasket

Thanks Ladies (and guy).  I would proabably talk about her more if more of my CWs had kids-- but that's not the case or if I worked for a smaller company. 

There are maybe 150 of us on this floor so it takes a while to develop relationships w people.

MrsJakes

I don't talk about him very much. He comes up maybe a couple times a week with a few of my coworkers. I think it's kind of strange that you have pictures that she didn't notice. 

Helenahhandbasket

MrsJakes said:

I don't talk about him very much. He comes up maybe a couple times a week with a few of my coworkers. I think it's kind of strange that you have pictures that she didn't notice. 

Yeah-- they are sort of hidden from her view-- they are taped to the front of my filing chest and  the chest faces me -sort of like a bit of a separation/ demarcation between our two desks.