Breeder-itis rears its ugly head…
Yeah, we’ve all gotten that bingo before. You know the one. The one about how we’re selfish and immature for not wanting to have kids. Well, that may be true occasionally, but the childed are not immune to selfishness and immaturity as we’ve known for quite some time.
The other day at work, I saw quite a spectacle. One of my coworkers is pregnant with her second child. She has a four year old daughter. Well, the day before, she had gone to the doctor and it was the day she was going to find out what gender the baby was. The verdict came back that it was boy. Apparently, she had been hoping for another girl. The day after she was fuming through the office. While most in my department are in cubicles, I share an office with one other girl. Ms. Breeder happened to stop by our office to talk to the other girl and proceeded to tell her about how horrible it was to be having a boy and how DEVASTATED she was. I was pretty busy with work so I was fairly focused on my computer screen, but I obviously overheard the conversation. I couldn’t help it. She was standing a foot from my desk.
When my office-mate asked her if the baby was healthy, she replied, “Eh…yeah, but it’s a BOY!”
I am rather proud of myself for showing an incredible amount of restraint in not saying anything or rolling my eyes or making some other exasperated action especially when she said “I don’t want to have a boy because there are no cute boy clothes to buy.” At that point, I had to “go check on something in the graphics department” which was really just my excuse to get out of there before I did do/say something. However, as I was making my escape, I did hear her say “What’s the point now?”
Seriously, how selfish and immature can you get? You wanted a girl. I get it. However, a) you already have a daughter so you’re not completely left out in the cold, and b) these things are no guarantee. You had a 50/50 shot either way. The whole tantrum (which was pretty much what it boiled down to) almost made me feel sorry for the kid. Geez. Come on people. When you get knocked up, you take a chance that it’s not going to be exactly what you are hoping for (ie: blond-haired, blue eyed, girl that will grow up to be a super model). This isn’t a department store. There is no exchange or refund policy if it doesn’t turn out to be exactly what you want.
By the way, completely unrelated, fellow blogger over at Fabulously Broke in the City is having a closet cleanout and has some great items for sale. Go check it out. While the blogs aren’t about childfree topics, she, herself, is childfree and has some great information about life in general. Go ahead and swing by.
**Sorry for being slightly late to the party for this great event, FB. Silly Gmail and it’s spam box…
March 5, 2008 at 4:14 pm
It’s so sad and depressing to think that such low life and pathetic kinds of people are putting MORE babies in this world. I honestly feel sorry for this poor boy.
Why can’t this idiot simply buy herself a whole collection of plastic Barbie dolls??!! Uhrgh…….I feel like throwing up.
March 6, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I hate crap like that, and I always do feel bad for the poor kid. I never understand how people want thier kids to be a certain sex – what the fuck is that about? I mean, seriously? One gender is better than the other? What a messed up value to pass on to your (unfortunate) kids.
I’d like to slap this woman. I hope no one in your office has a child born with a medical problem or disability. I’d look the other way if they slapped her for saying “Yeah, it’s healthy, but…it’s a BOY.”
March 6, 2008 at 12:56 pm
UGH that irritates me.. Seriously. If you want a child you want them to be happy, healthy and have a good life. You don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl.
I know it sounds super bad but I almost wish her child would be born with a defect so she can learn to appreciate that the child turns out healthy. But I also don’t wish that on the poor child just so the mother can learn her lesson. Cow. I’d let other people slap her too.
But that’s how angry her attitude makes ME…
You can wish for a girl or a boy but in the end, you’re just happy you have a child. Or at least she should be.
Parents like that shouldn’t have children.. or at least should go through an attitude adjustment.
Thanks for the plug!
March 11, 2008 at 7:00 am
OK, if you want a girl that much, don’t get pregnant and adopt a chinese baby. You’re going to have a girl. 100% sure.
If you don’t have the money to adopt, go to the store and buy a doll.
Seriously, I’ve seen some people concerned about the sex of the future baby if they are at risk to transmit an illness who affects only one sex (like hemophilia affects only boys) or such problems or simply if they have more facility to get along kids of one sex over the others. But clothes? How shallow!!!
At least now with ultrasound she knows it in advance and can start right now to prepare for the idea.
March 13, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Oy vey. Why are there so many stupid people in the world? No, really…
I’m mostly a lurker but wanted to delurk to let you know I’m going to link to your blog if that’s okay w/you. I always adore your posts…
March 18, 2008 at 6:54 am
Gah! Stupid humans. I’m echoing stepher above, I’d like to link to this on my blog. I’m trying to baby-proof my body and facing all kinds of obstacles in this gloriously sexist health care system we have here in the land of the free. We non-breeders have to stick together!
March 18, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Link away girls! Thanks for stopping by.
March 22, 2008 at 6:02 pm
And yet WE are the ones who are (fill in the blank with Bad Word) people? It is really odd that people continue to tout having kids as a selfless undertaking. It isn’t, it’s selfish, only people don’t want to admit it. It’s all about them… what they want, not about the kid.
I think it’s worse than stupid, it’s actually really sad. Not only will this person likely try for a girl (again) she has now produced an unwanted child who really deserves better. How sad for that kid, blighted life from the get-go.
Makes me laugh that I just has a poster on my blog informing me that “having children makes you a better person.” Yeah, right. The sad thing is they actually believe that crap.
July 4, 2008 at 7:17 pm
[...] That Karma… She can be a b*tch… Remember my post a few months ago about the woman at my office who was just traumatized because she was expecting a boy instead of a girl. You know, this one? [...]