BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Baby stalked!

Ah, but you can always say "Sorry, I'm allergic to animals!" and usually be met with understanding.

I have to say though, I'd be really surprised if I went to a grocery store or doctor's and had someone trying to show off their cute pony to me. What I'm getting at, is for a good chunk of situations where people have animals, you're in that place because you like animals too. Like if I went to a playground and some mom said "There's my kid, aren't they cute?" I'd be expecting that because well, it's a location where there's lots of kids. If I went to a barn and someone wanted to show off their horse, I'd be expecting that.
If however, I'm trying to do some reading or whatever and someone comes over intent on intruding to show off their kid, that's unreasonable. I find it pretty lame that someone has to do something like that (and I would find it pretty annoying if someone had a pet that they were doing it with) it's like saying "Lookit me, I'm SPECIAL because I have a ____!" If I was interested in babies, I'd have started talking to a person with the baby when they sat down, I wouldn't need a blatant "invitation" like that. Ditto with animals, and for sure, I WOULD start up a conversation if it were an animal.

EXCELLENT way to explain that, GreyDrakkon.

Why thanks, I was starting to get jealous of all your fabulous posts Angela. >;D I had to show I could write SOMETHING intelligent.

Too funny! I guess I have been "baby stalked" a few times..didn't know what to call it...hee..hee..now I do.


have to say though, I'd be really surprised if I went to a grocery store or doctor's and had someone trying to show off their cute pony to me. What I'm getting at, is for a good chunk of situations where people have animals, you're in that place because you like animals too. Like if I went to a playground and some mom said "There's my kid, aren't they cute?" I'd be expecting that because well, it's a location where there's lots of kids. If I went to a barn and someone wanted to show off their horse, I'd be expecting that.
If however, I'm trying to do some reading or whatever and someone comes over intent on intruding to show off their kid, that's unreasonable. I find it pretty lame that someone has to do something like that (and I would find it pretty annoying if someone had a pet that they were doing it with) it's like saying "Lookit me, I'm SPECIAL because I have a ____!" If I was interested in babies, I'd have started talking to a person with the baby when they sat down, I wouldn't need a blatant "invitation" like that. Ditto with animals, and for sure, I WOULD start up a conversation if it were an animal


DITTO!!!

Wow, Llyn, that's terrible. It's amazing how insensitive people can be. I'm sorry that happened to you.

I don't get why people need all that attention and validation when they're with their baby either. Really, they have 24/7 attention FROM the baby, why do they need it from everyone else?!

I like to use the 'going to the bathroom and then reseating myself somewhere else' trick too

It's because they want attention/validation for their "accomplishment". Like when a waiter says, "Here's your check Mr. Smith". "That's Dr. Smith, thank you very much." People go out of their way to call attention to the things they're most proud of.

Oh yeah! I have totally been baby/kid stalked and I know you will all LOVE this little story. It happened at my old work place when I worked in a DNA lab at a major university and hospital. My friend and coworker witnessed the whole thing and she and I still talk about this event.

I had another coworker I will call Betsy. Well, Betsy had 2 little kids, a boy and a girl, and granted, they were really good kids. But, Betsy had a habit of coming in with, no joke, about 300+ pictures to show us at a time. Now, I like a picture now and then but when the stack won't even fit in your hand, the pics of kids hitting a baseball or sitting on the beach can get very old and boring very quickly. Plus, remember, I am at WORK trying to focus on DNA samples. You get the point. I had mentioned to my friend that I could not take much more of Betsy's kid pictures and I was going to have to nicely put my foot down.

So, one day, Betsy comes to work (she only came in one day a week. Did most computer work from home) and her computer was right next to mine. She had a slide show of pics to show me that contained about another 200 to 300 pictures. I nicely said "Betsy, I really don't enjoy looking at pictures. Any pictures. I am not a picture person but thanks anyway" and I kept working at my computer. I didn't even say anything about kids although pictures of kids standing and sitting are not exactly exciting to me. She stopped, thought for a minute and, as I continued WORKING on my computer she actually said "Oh, well, here...I will start my slide show (and she turned her computer screen toward me) and if you have the chance to look up every now and then you can catch some of the pictures". (!!!) Unbelievable! I heard my other co-worker kind of gasp and giggle under her breath b/c she knew how much I hated Betsy's pictures and we were astounded that even after my statement, she still pushed them on me. And, yep, she started the slide show and for the next two hours the pics flipped one by one on the screen next to me....as I avoided looking up at all costs.

Even after I said I did not want to see the pictures Betsy just could not let it be. She was insistant upon me seeing her pics of her youngsters. My friend and I still laugh about it and this was about 5 or 6 years ago.

LOL!!! That is so funny jhmd. I love the part about "If you look up once in awhile."

When this thread started I was thinking (due to the terms used like "loaf" (snicker), "Oh no...yet another topic that will incite the moms" and lo and behold. Sigh. It really makes me want to not post, but yet, I have had this happen to me too, but usually I'm okay with it because I like babies for the most part. It's when they're older that I'm not as interested.

BUT, still, there are times....sometimes I wonder if I'm being oversensitive and imagining it, but who knows. I was in a parking lot, putting my groceries in the car, and a mom pulled in near me. She got out, and was making a huge production out of getting out her baby and putting it (IT....no visible gender) into a stroller. She was taking a really long time, fussing with it, turning it all around. I then noticed that she kept glancing over at me. I just kept at what I was doing, but could feel her looking at me because she had to turn around. Then she started lifting the baby up swinging it around in the air, (this is after it was in the stroller and strapped in) and smiling and cooing at it. All the while glancing over at me. I finally had my stuff in the car, and drove off.

Maybe this was normal behavior for her. It just seemed like she was SO into her baby she could barely get herself into the grocery store. At the time I thought it was weird, like she was performance-mothering or something.

Maybe this was normal behavior for her. It just seemed like she was SO into her baby she could barely get herself into the grocery store. At the time I thought it was weird, like she was performance-mothering or something

That is just too strange. That behavior would of made me want to move quick-like, I would of thought she was up to something acting all strange like that. Your comment was funny! Nice to laugh..this board is becoming stressful with not knowing what will "upset" a mom or something and get reported.