BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids "Babies aren't cute"

Allison, I saw that episode it was hillarious. I still remember Kramer looking into the crib. Wasn't that the one where George went swimming and "shrunk"?

Actually, I have to be honest, I endeared my two month early first child with the nickname Yoda because she was just so darn wrinklely (sp?). Some people were shocked, but hey, she looked like Yoda. I needed a bit of humor after the stress.

Dognut, I didn't get up to see everybody's baby either, and I'm a mom.

I called my sister's child "the larva" for a long time when she was still an infant. I meant with with humor/affection, but it was also true. We were all once little larval humans.

Nobody asks me to babysit. They either feel that I'm already on baby overload or they are worried that my kids would eat theirs alive! Not a bad thing, I have more than I can handle most days. However, if I see a fellow mom in crisis mode with an emergency health situation, etc. I will offer my assistance if at all possible.

This brought to mind a few years back I remember seeing an interview with a celebrity on television that didn't appreciate newborns being pushed on him. He said that he nipped it in the bud by graciously accepting the newborn and "accidentally" letting the head seem unsupported (I do hope he was kidding). He said the results were that the parent would immediately remove the baby from his inappreciative arms never to bother him again.

It feels unfair that the celebrity even had to think up that trick, though. Why is it culturally wrong for someone to simply say "No thank you?" Can we think of any other area where someone is forced to "show affection"?

Adults, I mean - kids are often told to go "kiss your relative" even when they strongly do not want to. Which I would also think is wrong ...

Ok, I've got to confess here that I'm one of those moms that reminds kids to go give the Grands "bye love". The oldest does good to wave bye, and the middle one can't get there to smooch on them fast enough. It's just the difference in kids.

I don't force either to kiss or hug, just to say good-bye and that they had a good time.

Is it just me, I've never really had the urge to let someone hold my babies. All those potential germs and yes, unsupported heads, I didn't even want my husband to hold them sometimes. My gosh they are so fragile and able to catch things easily.

Lisa, your remarks are dead on, and on that theme, don't talk to strangers, but sit on Santa's lap...LOL.

I think all babies are cute, but babies who are preemies, or are born with Down syndrome, or have CP, are just slightly cuter than average babies.

The first baby that was thrust into my arms unexpectedly was a newborn whose dad assumed that any woman knew how to hold a baby - even a married and child-free one with a wine glass in each hand on her way to thirsty child-free friends in the next room. Luckily there was someone to rescue the wine glasses before the mom stormed into the room to chastise her husband for waking up a sleeping baby.

I was not that comfortable holding the baby with both hands dedicated to the endeavor ~ and I might have been wearing cashmere - so I appreciated the mom very efficiently removing the sweet little squirmy sprout and putting her down in the bassinet.

I have to laugh when I read the title of this forum - Married No Kids - because most of the messages are about the 'No Kids' part of the equation. Husbands, like the one who handed me that baby, and being married, even without children, both seem like equally perplexing topics to the adventures other people's children cause in our lives.

I think the best way to avoid people handing off their babies is to say, "I've had a sore throat." It seems thoughtful and considerate, with the added benefit of no particular time frame to make it an actual lie.

Good luck avoiding them!

Pam W
SE of Seattle

How I hated being forced to get my cheeks pinched by Aunt Griselda all those years!

yes, I use the 'I might be sick' ploy with all kinds of things - to not shake hands is a big one. I hate shaking hands. i catch every cold and flu i meet. I don't want to touch anything.

I don't think babies are UN-cute some of them are beautiful but I don't generically think ALL babies are cute. I don't honestly think some newborns are cute though and some babies ARE UGLY. It depends. If a baby looks at me and screams to be honest I find it hard not to take it personally and feel intimidated! (But yes I DO know what to do with a crying baby - bottle, change it, soothe it etc, used to work with babies.)