Is it just me? Grannies who go on endlessly about their grandchildren.

I have a distant friend who posts the child’s life history on FB of course I don’t have to read, but everyday pops up a picture with something she’s done, she s the tallest in her class she’s the fastest, she’s brilliant at gymnastics, she’s the best artist in her class, she’s the best at ballet, at every sport a 4 year old can do, every song she’s every tried to sing is videoed I just think it’s so bad for the child to get so much attention I m sure she ll be on the stage when she’s 6
Dear little kid but oh my oh my

My closest friend has many grandchildren who she is very involved with but she barely mentions them to me as we have too many other interesting things to talk about. One lady at a social club my husband volunteers at has stopped going because she says people don’t talk to her. Trouble is, she talks only of her hundreds of grand/ great/great-great grandchildren and nothing else, and takes no interest in what others say so it’s very tedious. No wonder they avoid talking to her, which is sad.

People who talk endlessly of their children are also tedious! It’s the “all things in moderation “ which is key here. The best audience for grandchildren’s achievements is their parents - it’s bliss!

A neighbour,if you bump into her, gets out her phone to show you endless pictures and then recount their latest achievement, if she can lure you in to her house there is the endless photographs dotted everywhere, not only that because they are so clever they obviously take after her, it’s just a gift. Not a bit interested if your leg was to fall off whilst talking, you must listen.. To be avoided at all costs.

Whatever the topic, it can be mind- numbing if that is all they ever talk about.
I have an acquaintance who has no children, but has posted on social media every week about her dog, using similar sort of language about his antics and his development as if he were her baby. I just don’t want to know.

I have eight grandchildren. I’ll start with the eldest and work down. Are you sitting comfortably…

Yes I agree, endless information about children you hardly know is pretty tedious, same goes for pets, homes, ailments.
A quick catch up is enough as long as it works both ways.
Obviously there are exceptions where special events are to be congratulated or there is a serious worry that needs to be shared.

LauraNorderr

I have eight grandchildren. I’ll start with the eldest and work down. Are you sitting comfortably…

???

I was just about to say to everyone on the thread that I'll bet none of these children are as wonderful, talented, brilliant and good looking as my DGC

Well I was thinking about this, and not many of my close friends have grandchildren, but one who has six the same as me, I am genuinely interested to hear about, and am never fed up with her talking about them, even though they are mostly much cleverer than mine.

I do talk about them to my other friends, but not to the exclusion of everything else, and I never show photos.

I would never brag about them, I know only too well that pride comes before a fall.

Looking at all the replies, no, OP, it’s not just you!

Worse, for me, is the lady I knew who not only talked endlessly about her GC, but then continued with talk about people I'd never met, would never meet - and their grandchildren - in fact, the whole family.

She was one of those who say things like, "I went round on the Wednesday, no, wait a minute, it was Thursday.... or maybe it was Wednesday when they were having a man in to fix their driveway, oh you should have seen the mess he was making, and managed to scratch their car - lovely car, too - must've cost a fortune, but they can afford it - he works for XXX you know, fantastic company to work for..." and on and on.

And, she wasn't lonely, had a very attentive husband and regular visits from family.

She was utterly exhausting and I used to feel drained after our one-sided conversation.

I try hard not to be a granny-bore, so I make a point of asking after my friends' grandchildren. Then they tell me...

I don't mind and in fact, I like getting updates on friends GC. I give mine as well. I might show a photograph or 2. Not more because even I think that would be weird.

annodomini

I try hard not to be a granny-bore, so I make a point of asking after my friends' grandchildren. Then they tell me...

LOL- there are a few people I know I must not ask how they are, or they will go on forever with every ache and pain. Give me news of the grandchildren instead, please. Not that I am not sympathetic, but !

Oh yes Fleurpepper! Much rather hear about children than being bored with their health issues.

I quite enjoy hearing about grandchildren, but I get fed up with a couple of friends who talk endlessly about themselves. One of them talked about herself non-stop for twenty minutes on the phone the other day.

People that talk about themselves/their family all the time are boring. Conversation should be like a tennis match, to and fro, without one person monopolising.

Dickens - my mother was like that. She'd start off telling you about one person, then before you knew it, she'd have veered off at at a tangent onto various other people, none of whom I knew. 'Mrs X, oh yes you know who I mean - her daughter was married to Mr Y, who was the cousin of Mr Z, etc etc etc'. I used to just say 'oh yes, I know who you mean now', before I died of boredom listening to her.

Dickens and Blondiescot you have both made very boring stories interesting and amusing in the retelling.
I’ve met those people.
Callistemon, I’m sure your gcs are nearly as brilliant as mine ?

Yes, I’ve got a couple of friends who bombard me with chat and I don’t get a word in edgewise. It could be about grandchildren, husband or friends I’ve never met. I just let them get on with it as they are not going to change and I’m fond of them.

I like to hear about what makes my friends happy - so if it's grandchildren then so be it! But constant talk about one subject would get draining after a while. Luckily I can't think of anyone who does this though.

I think one or two photos are fine.
Smartphones have a lot to answer for! Couple that with proud grannies endlessly ‘scrolling through’.... Gaarr!
‘Just put me in a coma now’
(Jesse Pinkman to Walter White).

Blondiescot

Dickens - my mother was like that. She'd start off telling you about one person, then before you knew it, she'd have veered off at at a tangent onto various other people, none of whom I knew. 'Mrs X, oh yes you know who I mean - her daughter was married to Mr Y, who was the cousin of Mr Z, etc etc etc'. I used to just say 'oh yes, I know who you mean now', before I died of boredom listening to her.

?? oh boy - you keep saying, "yes, I know who you mean now" hoping the monologue will hurry up to its conclusion LOL!

Yes, the... "you know who I mean, chap with the two large front teeth, married that woman who worked as a bacon slicer in that shop - what's it called now - no, not that one, the one before that one, you know, had a big dent in the floor that shop owner made when he dropped the weighing scale - him with the bushy eyebrows, you remember him don't you" type of conversation where you realise you must've been living in a parallel universe because you don't remember any of them - but have a vague recollection of a floor somewhere with a dent in it. But realise you only ever visited the shop on the odd occasion and had little interaction or none with the two front teeth and the bushy eyebrows.

I've just got off the phone from someone who droned on for half an hour about some argument going on in her workplace.
I have never met Yvonne, Dawn or Trevor.

Vintagejazz

I've just got off the phone from someone who droned on for half an hour about some argument going on in her workplace.
I have never met Yvonne, Dawn or Trevor.

??

You have now!