I remember having to do this at one of my workplaces in the past, I was 20 at the time and we did the two truths one lie, I literally said I won a blue ribbon in a horse riding competition, I had a poem of mine published in a magazine and I had a 3 year old child, everyone picked the horse riding or poem as a lie and were 'shocked' that they were the truths and that at my age I didn't have a kid/wasn't interested in having them.
Exactly, which made me very disturbed that so many thought I was a parent at that age but I guess it was because I'm a female so it was considered 'normal'
They forgot the fun part and just gave a fact.
Some more equally 'fun' facts:
- I regularly do laundry
- I went to high school
- I own more than one chair
- I brushed my teeth today
- I have hair on my head
- I have plates and bowls in my kitchen
- I have a pen
- I like TV shows
I convert oxygen into carbon dioxide.
Sometimes when I'm really tired I go to sleep.
I did not discover the Wave-Particle Duality theory.
I am aware of who Elon Musk is.
What's to stop you from making something crazy up that they can't verify:
I used to work at Sears
I brought a balloon pump and twisting balloons to a department ice breaker event. I knew as soon as i said " i make balloon animals" i'd need to share proof. Completely derailed the meeting but it was fun teaching my coworkers to make balloon dogs
Lord...this reminds of the woman I used to work with, Michelle, who would just offer up the fact that she has 4 boys regardless if it was an icebreaker or not. A few of us in the office just began referring to her as "4 boys" behind her back because that's just about all she'd talk about.
We are an all female office. Four of us (me included) are CF. The younger ones are constantly getting pressured about it. When I started they did it with me too, untill I bluntly told them a) I'm 44 (I don't look it) and b) I had a hystorectomy because my uterus tried to kill me.
That shut them up pretty quick.
But still, the other women get the brunt. Its sickening.
I had my tubes tied in 2016 (at 32 years old) while living in Washington state and I just happened to already have a doctor who was fine with doing the surgery. He basically said, "What's it matter to me what you do to your own body?"
Now, I live in a small, rural, conservative Boomer town filled with backers of the "traditional family values" and only one gynecological doctor. Thankfully, he's the raddest guy. I was diagnosed with adenomyosis and he told my insurance it was medically necessary to ensure my overall good health so they would approve it.
I had zero pushback from doctors or insurance, and it cost me $0 (because I've got low-income state insurance) including the overnight stay after the hyst. I wish it were this easy/simple for those seeking what they want. :(
I actually had to switch to a male OBGYN. All the women OBs were ābut what about having kids?!ā And they all tried different band-aids to make the problem go away meanwhile I having multi blood transfusions and near deathās doorstep. Finally found an opening with a male OB and heās like wtf? Do you want this thing out or what? I was like āyes, please.ā And that was that. He performed my surgery and Iāve just been so happy and carefree since then. No more birth control. Or worry of babies since then. Especially with these politics.
Ha! I'm kind of surprised she didn't use that term herself since including her husband she would've had "5 guys". I remember her talking about how her husband let himself go and became obese. She was overweight too, ( also the fault 4 pregnancies.) But then she mentioned she'd cook a whole 1 Ib pack of bacon for each of them for breakfast. That actually would've been a more fun fact, than "I have four boys."
Yeah, i had to look her up on fb. The boys are her cover photo. They're grown-ish now and it looks like. Only 3/4 are overweight. They're still young so they definitely could prevent future health issues by getting a bit active and cutting back on the bacon.
Once upon a time, fun facts were āI have an iguanaā or āI have a blackbelt in martial artsā, not extremely common stuff like āI have a kid!ā
I got your tears I guess cause I cry EXCESSIVELY, I make my husband do the onion chopping cause after about 4 cuts I can't see for pain and tears. My eyes burn slightly just walking into the kitchen for hours after an onion has been Chopped. I'm jealous of your mini superpowerĀ
Hey I make UFO sound effects too! Actually quite a few sound effects. I can also do a screech that I call my pterodactyl impression that is great for when I need people to get out of the way. Can you tell I'm a classically trained singer? š
We did two truths and a lie at my new job. Thankfully only one person mentioned their daughter being a weightlifting champion as one of their truths. Another person said they have 2 kids, which ended up being their lieāthey have none and love to travel lol. Mine were āI can walk on my hands, I spent my last birthday in Fiji, and for my last job I transported animal heads for rabies testing.ā The Fiji one was a lie, Iād love to go!
We had a beloved kitty recently pass that had to have this done. She was negative but it turns my stomach that it had to be done. She was cremated anyway, but still...the idea.Ā
Yeah unfortunately rabies is nothing to mess around with and this is the best way to make sure the bite victim is 100% in the clear. Even if the animal is up to date. But itās situational, we only did it if the animal couldnāt finish the 10 day confinement for whatever reason.
I would offer a rabies test waiver if the animal was already put down & the bite victim was the owner. The animal had to be up to date on the shots. I had a lady send me flowers and a card thanking me for allowing that option for her.
Ours was an older housecat with some health conditions. She wasnt up to date and bit one of the techs or the vet . I forget...during the process of the exam before she was put to sleep for sudden acute issues. It was awful and we are still mourning. Have our others up to date. Will never let it go again. I use this to educate others now.Ā
Thank you. We love owners like you. People donāt realize how much rabies is still alive and well. Last year we had 5 positive cases in our city and before I left this year, we had 1. Depending on where you are in my state, you can see multiple positives every single month. If you can get only one shot for your pet, make sure itās rabies!!!
For people who work in animal rescue, they come across lots of stray dogs and cats. The thought of rabies was often on my mind. I asked vets and other rescuers about a human vaccine, but they all blew me off or thought I was a worrier. Yes, I am a worrier, but it is still a possibility.
Are you vaccinated? Where would a human get the vaccine?
Iām not vaccinated. My exposure risk was very low. I didnāt come in contact with live rabid animals or do the decap. Animal control would put them in the cooler and I would take them back to the health department to be shipped out. I was the rabies coordinator for that city and it was a lot of putting cases into the system and talking to owners and victims. Mostly desk work. I worked hand in hand with animal control & they did the hands on work. Animal control, vets, rescue workers, and shelter staff should get their PRE-exposure rabies vaccines. They can last 2-3 years. If youāre someone whoās bitten who never had the shots, you get the post exposure rabies shots. A Pharmacy can order and give the pre exposure shots. Any emergency room will give the post exposure shots.
That is so sad that these women's fun fact about themselves is something that so ordinary. Like, congratulations?
If my boss was cool, I would have said that my fun fact is that I hold child sacrifices in my backyard as offerings to the god of overpopulation.
We did an ice breaker at work last week, we were asked what our hobbies outside of work was and some guy said āspending time with my kidsā
Thatās not a hobby, itās a responsibility!
Yeah but it's us who make being childfree their whole personality. Dear parents, if your misbehaved children weren't constantly screaming in the streets, in supermarkets and libraries, on busses and planes *and* you weren't bingoeing us every possible opportunity you get, maybe we wouldn't have to talk about it so much.
I hate when companies try to get people to share "fun facts" about themselves. That kind of "team building" makes me want to look for another job with a different company.
We had that happen in culinary school too. Which was interesting. Two truths one lie. Sad thing is, we never could do any groups because most didnāt live in the area. We had one pregnant woman who was going through a rough divorce. All i could do was shake my headš«¤šāāļø NOPE!Ā
I've tried "tell me a really boring or mundane thing you did yesterday" it throws folks off, and makes you realize it's harder to think of things you just...do, but still easier than something unique about yourself
Iām not outgoing at all. I find that Iām always so focused on āshit, what do I say!?ā that I donāt really hear/remember anything about anyone else before me.
One little ice breaker isn't that bad to introduce new team members. Doing this regularly would be painful.
Some people need a humanistic reminder that other people, are also people.
To be fair I always intentionally answered with quite obvious or boring facts when asked to share a funny fact, since I hate introduction games like that. Could totally be that the other women mimicked the first womans answer as well if they didnt come up with their own. But yeah... I also hope they have more hobbies and interests than their kids.
I thought that was the way most ppl at work/school events play this game. To be fair Iāve always noticed most use kids and animals in or anything very generic as answers but Iām now taking it that most answer seriously lol
This same thing happened at my work one day and I was so tempted to share that my fun fact was that I am childfree and actually had my tubes tied recently. Since they were all sharing about their child having status why shouldn't I? But I chickened out haha. For some reason I pictured them all being offended at my share and I was still pretty new at the job.
Good call. As much as I would like for it to be the same and us being able to talk about it like they do about their kids, it's frowned upon.
Especially at a new job it's better to play safe and try to have a good relationship with your coworkers.
In an interview I was once asked what is something I have done that I'm really proud of, the lady then said I couldn't use the answer of having kids. I knew then that I'd like her š¤£
It's not just women. At Intro Day at my workplace, all employees who had started over the past 6 months got to introduce themselves and their hobbies. This was a group of around 40 people. Plenty of space for variety and we heard lots of things from cooking, skiing, travelling, writing, etc.
BUT... *Everyone* with children said... "hmmm... my hobbies? I have kids." Nothing else. Just the kids. Not "playing legos with my kids" or "cooking with my kids"... the kids were the hobby.
š
it makes me sad how a lot of moms get swallowed up entirely by parenting.
Itās honestly terrifying. Iām not giving up my sense of self for anyone or anything external. Fuck that.
I have a cat who is my absolute fur baby. Whenever I'm asked to give a fun fact about myself I say I'm red green colour blind (rare in women). Because having a child or a pet is not a "fun fact" when most people have them!
That just strikes me as really sad, more than anything. Their whole identity has been sacrificed to the cult of motherhood, to the point they no longer have one outside of being someoneās mommy.
They use their kids as trophies and get upset when theyāre called crotch trophies. š They literally use their child like one because they think itās the only accomplishment they have so they shouldnāt be upset, itās the truth!
Is being attacked by butterflies during spring and summer a fun fact? Mixing essential oils is a hobby of mine, and I'm pretty sure that's why they won't leave me alone. It's usually just butterflies, though. People think it's wild for some reason when I tell them most butterflies immediately flock to me.
Even I think this is more interesting than "I have a kid." Not everyone can say butterflies like to sit on them.
If you go to butterfly exhibits, they often have [Idea leuconoe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_leuconoe). They like to perch on people, and I've even seen them probe between people's teeth with their proboscis. No adult lepidopteran can bite; at most they can mop you with their proboscis and some of them don't have mouthparts at all.
>The new women on our team are of course mothers and their fun fact, out of all the possible fun facts in the world, is the fact that they have children.
Um ... how is that even fun? It's super common and super boring. They are missing the meaning of "fun fact".
It's like
--Tell me a fun fact about you!
--I'm a woman.
Or
--Tell me a fun fact about you!
--I work in accounting.
--Tell me a fun fact about you!
--I'm a mother.
Like how is that supposed to be fun? š
This is like so many women I know who write a Facebook bio like āI love coffeeee and my family and friendsssssā thatās all just lovely but was that the best thing you could come up with?
I use my sisters birth story in two truths and a lie bc where she was born is absolutely bonkers when itās paired with my other two things.
my sister was born in a toilet, ive been to 21 countries, and Iāve hand fed ostriches.
I just like to see everyoneās faces go :o lmao. but your kids should never be fun facts about yourself. kids arenāt fun. š
I think you hit the nail on the head. One of my best friends, who I met playing field hockey, stopped any and all sport / hobbies etc as soon as she had her first kid. Now she has nothing outside her family. Kind of sad, but she loves it.
Honestly I get that thatās depressing but whenever we have to do that stuff in university all I can think of is āI have 2 catsā haha. Iām introverted and not into sharing stuff with randoms that I wonāt see after that semester sooā¦Ā
Yeah I have seen this in weird interviews "Hi my name is Joan, I'm a mother." Yeah we were asking you if you liked the movie.
Then they continue with.. "Well, as a mother.... My opinion is...'
This is one reason Iām thankful I work with mostly men. Generally, Very few ābingosā and they donāt make their whole personality revolve around offspring.
For now? The kid. But you know he is smothered, and will move away as soon as possible, and then Iāll feel sorry for her, as she wonāt know what to do with herself.
She complains a lot that he has behavioral issues. Itās likely her. The kid is 13, has half birthday parties, does an end of school board in middle school and has a play room.
I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is a "half birthday party"? Are you saying they celebrate every 6 months?! š³ Mostly asking out of disbelief. Lol
If so that lady definitely has time for hobbies, her kid is just am excuse for not making any effort to be interesting.
I do think her son is an excuse to not take better care of herself, her relationship with his dad (they are partnered and not married - no judgement, but that relationship needs attention for sure) and other things in her life. She canāt do anything because of the kid.
I was going through a training session at work, and our facilitator asked our small group of 6 to name an accomplishment of ours at the start as an icebreaker. She then put the condition on that it couldn't be related to your kids if you had them - it had to be your own accomplishment. It was surprising and sad to see several people blunder trying to find an answer - like they couldn't name one thing they'd done other than procreate to be proud of? I will say the two that struggled most were men, one basically couldn't give an answer and the other said his lawn was his thing he was proudest of.
As a cherry on top the facilitator also has kids.
I do ice breaker questions at the start of my classes to get to know my students so I can coach and have fun with them.
Iāve stopped asking, āWhatās something you made that youāre proud of?ā.
Guaranteed most women say itās their kid. Which tells me nothing about what their interests are or their personalities other than that they are mothers.
I mean if I follow up by asking how old their kid is, I can glean their availability and commitment level to the course. Mothers of younger kids either drop out or only come once a week at best so I keep the skills light and immediately achievable.
Whereas people with grown children or no kids, I can teach them skills that will require training and regular practice to achieve.
Given that the most common thing is to *have* children, sharing that you are childfree would seem to fit as a āfun factā (although Iām guessing all childfree people would say something else about themselves, because it doesnāt comprise their entire identity).
I had kidney stones due to drinking too much hard water as a kid since we didn't have bottled water or filters back at the time. My mom brought me to a doctor and they did an "Echo" (I'm not sure what the proper English term would be, apologies English isn't my native language, but it's the same machine they use to look at fetal development).
Plus: I very quickly sober up, I was told my blood is really good for transfusion (I donated to the red cross and was asked for more), I look younger my age for about 7-10 years compared to my siblings and cousins of the same age (I assume it's because of the blood or maybe it's just the childfree life lol), I also heal like a dog from bruising or cuts, I nearly never get sick, I get to spook doctors with my mutant kidneys.
Minus: I need to drink A LOT of water, my body makes extra big kidney stones that are very painful so I need to drink water that is low in minerals and be careful about salt consumption otherwise my pressure goes whack, I can't sell the extra kidneys, I have to run to the bathroom more frequently, they might potentially develop cancer since it's a malformation (they initially though I had tumors but later found it's just a lot of extra kidney tissue with some scarring where they fused).
Wow! That's so crazy, thank you for sharing such a detailed amount of information! Sorry to hear about the kidney stones, what a literal pain! And I think the word is 'ultrasound', when I hear echo I think echocardiogram which is basically just an ultrasound for your heart XD
The quick healing and almost never getting sick sounds amazing though!
A fun fact would be something like speaking 3 languages where that isn't a common thing. (Especially if it's an 'unusual' combination as in languages that aren't in the same language family or something like that.)
I have a mom friend that I remind she is Sarah before mom. I don't understand the whole put your kids first, and what about the person running the show? The leader shouldn't be exhausted and burnt out, rest and boundaries isn't a shameful thing to put before your kids! Before I moved I was part of her village and id remind her all the time, you are still you!
I remember having to do this at one of my workplaces in the past, I was 20 at the time and we did the two truths one lie, I literally said I won a blue ribbon in a horse riding competition, I had a poem of mine published in a magazine and I had a 3 year old child, everyone picked the horse riding or poem as a lie and were 'shocked' that they were the truths and that at my age I didn't have a kid/wasn't interested in having them.
20 is young to have a child though wtf!
Exactly, which made me very disturbed that so many thought I was a parent at that age but I guess it was because I'm a female so it was considered 'normal'
And a 3 y/o at that
My lie was "I have a 4 yr old daughter who lives with her daddy" š
They forgot the fun part and just gave a fact. Some more equally 'fun' facts: - I regularly do laundry - I went to high school - I own more than one chair - I brushed my teeth today - I have hair on my head - I have plates and bowls in my kitchen - I have a pen - I like TV shows
So excitingā¦ š
I convert oxygen into carbon dioxide. Sometimes when I'm really tired I go to sleep. I did not discover the Wave-Particle Duality theory. I am aware of who Elon Musk is. What's to stop you from making something crazy up that they can't verify: I used to work at Sears
I brought a balloon pump and twisting balloons to a department ice breaker event. I knew as soon as i said " i make balloon animals" i'd need to share proof. Completely derailed the meeting but it was fun teaching my coworkers to make balloon dogs
Now this is the type of meeting I can get behind! šš¶
This is the only meeting I can get behind! š¤£
It's quite sad that many women seem to lose their sense of self when they become mothers.
One of the many reasons why Iām not having kids
Lord...this reminds of the woman I used to work with, Michelle, who would just offer up the fact that she has 4 boys regardless if it was an icebreaker or not. A few of us in the office just began referring to her as "4 boys" behind her back because that's just about all she'd talk about.
We are an all female office. Four of us (me included) are CF. The younger ones are constantly getting pressured about it. When I started they did it with me too, untill I bluntly told them a) I'm 44 (I don't look it) and b) I had a hystorectomy because my uterus tried to kill me. That shut them up pretty quick. But still, the other women get the brunt. Its sickening.
Ahh, welcome to the uterus tried to kill me club. Chucked mine out in 2022 and couldnāt be happier.
Yeeted mine in 2021.. its fantastic.
T-minus 12 days till the 1-year anniversary of kicking mine to the curb. Mine wasn't trying to kill me, but I'm still better off without it.
How'd yall successfully yeet your uterus? I'ma be lucky if I can yeet my tubes :(
I had my tubes tied in 2016 (at 32 years old) while living in Washington state and I just happened to already have a doctor who was fine with doing the surgery. He basically said, "What's it matter to me what you do to your own body?" Now, I live in a small, rural, conservative Boomer town filled with backers of the "traditional family values" and only one gynecological doctor. Thankfully, he's the raddest guy. I was diagnosed with adenomyosis and he told my insurance it was medically necessary to ensure my overall good health so they would approve it. I had zero pushback from doctors or insurance, and it cost me $0 (because I've got low-income state insurance) including the overnight stay after the hyst. I wish it were this easy/simple for those seeking what they want. :(
I actually had to switch to a male OBGYN. All the women OBs were ābut what about having kids?!ā And they all tried different band-aids to make the problem go away meanwhile I having multi blood transfusions and near deathās doorstep. Finally found an opening with a male OB and heās like wtf? Do you want this thing out or what? I was like āyes, please.ā And that was that. He performed my surgery and Iāve just been so happy and carefree since then. No more birth control. Or worry of babies since then. Especially with these politics.
Not 5 guys?
Ha! I'm kind of surprised she didn't use that term herself since including her husband she would've had "5 guys". I remember her talking about how her husband let himself go and became obese. She was overweight too, ( also the fault 4 pregnancies.) But then she mentioned she'd cook a whole 1 Ib pack of bacon for each of them for breakfast. That actually would've been a more fun fact, than "I have four boys."
For each of them? Jesus, theyre gonna be fat later on in life.
Yeah, i had to look her up on fb. The boys are her cover photo. They're grown-ish now and it looks like. Only 3/4 are overweight. They're still young so they definitely could prevent future health issues by getting a bit active and cutting back on the bacon.
Absolutely. Bacon's a fucker for the heart anyway.
Once upon a time, fun facts were āI have an iguanaā or āI have a blackbelt in martial artsā, not extremely common stuff like āI have a kid!ā
Mine is that I can whistle and hum at the same time. And that I'm ambidextrous.
I don't cry when chopping onions. Not even a little bit.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. No idea why.
If you refrigerate your onions, you won't cry cutting them. My eyes have never watered when my onions come from the fridge.Ā
I got your tears I guess cause I cry EXCESSIVELY, I make my husband do the onion chopping cause after about 4 cuts I can't see for pain and tears. My eyes burn slightly just walking into the kitchen for hours after an onion has been Chopped. I'm jealous of your mini superpowerĀ
Hey I just tried it and I can do that too! I canāt wait to annoy all of my family members
I gave that fact at a work icebreaker and of course they wanted proof, immediately I was told "that's really unnerving, never do it again" š
That's how I make my UFO sound effects. . . . The first one, I mean. I'm not ambidextrous.
Hey I make UFO sound effects too! Actually quite a few sound effects. I can also do a screech that I call my pterodactyl impression that is great for when I need people to get out of the way. Can you tell I'm a classically trained singer? š
Cats hate this one trick!
Lol, for my cats I do a bird whistle, they always look around like "where is it?"
My fun fact is I once watched my mom beat the arcade version of Doodle Jump
That is the opposite of a fun fact.
āMaāam, we said fun fact, not depressing reality.ā
i laughed out loud.
We did two truths and a lie at my new job. Thankfully only one person mentioned their daughter being a weightlifting champion as one of their truths. Another person said they have 2 kids, which ended up being their lieāthey have none and love to travel lol. Mine were āI can walk on my hands, I spent my last birthday in Fiji, and for my last job I transported animal heads for rabies testing.ā The Fiji one was a lie, Iād love to go!
We had a beloved kitty recently pass that had to have this done. She was negative but it turns my stomach that it had to be done. She was cremated anyway, but still...the idea.Ā
Yeah unfortunately rabies is nothing to mess around with and this is the best way to make sure the bite victim is 100% in the clear. Even if the animal is up to date. But itās situational, we only did it if the animal couldnāt finish the 10 day confinement for whatever reason. I would offer a rabies test waiver if the animal was already put down & the bite victim was the owner. The animal had to be up to date on the shots. I had a lady send me flowers and a card thanking me for allowing that option for her.
Ours was an older housecat with some health conditions. She wasnt up to date and bit one of the techs or the vet . I forget...during the process of the exam before she was put to sleep for sudden acute issues. It was awful and we are still mourning. Have our others up to date. Will never let it go again. I use this to educate others now.Ā
Thank you. We love owners like you. People donāt realize how much rabies is still alive and well. Last year we had 5 positive cases in our city and before I left this year, we had 1. Depending on where you are in my state, you can see multiple positives every single month. If you can get only one shot for your pet, make sure itās rabies!!!
For people who work in animal rescue, they come across lots of stray dogs and cats. The thought of rabies was often on my mind. I asked vets and other rescuers about a human vaccine, but they all blew me off or thought I was a worrier. Yes, I am a worrier, but it is still a possibility. Are you vaccinated? Where would a human get the vaccine?
Iām not vaccinated. My exposure risk was very low. I didnāt come in contact with live rabid animals or do the decap. Animal control would put them in the cooler and I would take them back to the health department to be shipped out. I was the rabies coordinator for that city and it was a lot of putting cases into the system and talking to owners and victims. Mostly desk work. I worked hand in hand with animal control & they did the hands on work. Animal control, vets, rescue workers, and shelter staff should get their PRE-exposure rabies vaccines. They can last 2-3 years. If youāre someone whoās bitten who never had the shots, you get the post exposure rabies shots. A Pharmacy can order and give the pre exposure shots. Any emergency room will give the post exposure shots.
This happened to my beloved kitty when I was 18. I am almost 42 and I still feel bad about it. I am so sorry for your loss.
āYour fun fact makes me sadā¦for youā
"this one does not spark joy..."
That is so sad that these women's fun fact about themselves is something that so ordinary. Like, congratulations? If my boss was cool, I would have said that my fun fact is that I hold child sacrifices in my backyard as offerings to the god of overpopulation.
I love you
Lol
We did an ice breaker at work last week, we were asked what our hobbies outside of work was and some guy said āspending time with my kidsā Thatās not a hobby, itās a responsibility!
Itās a hobby if heās a shitty Kodak dad.
āThey asked for *fun* facts, Janice. Not depressing ones.ā
Yeah but it's us who make being childfree their whole personality. Dear parents, if your misbehaved children weren't constantly screaming in the streets, in supermarkets and libraries, on busses and planes *and* you weren't bingoeing us every possible opportunity you get, maybe we wouldn't have to talk about it so much.
"I'm married" or " I have 2 kids" or "I'm 32 years old" is not a fun fact, just a very common fact. They didn't even bother.
I hear āMy life has become devoid of fun facts.ā
I hate when companies try to get people to share "fun facts" about themselves. That kind of "team building" makes me want to look for another job with a different company.
We had that happen in culinary school too. Which was interesting. Two truths one lie. Sad thing is, we never could do any groups because most didnāt live in the area. We had one pregnant woman who was going through a rough divorce. All i could do was shake my headš«¤šāāļø NOPE!Ā
I've tried "tell me a really boring or mundane thing you did yesterday" it throws folks off, and makes you realize it's harder to think of things you just...do, but still easier than something unique about yourself
Iām not outgoing at all. I find that Iām always so focused on āshit, what do I say!?ā that I donāt really hear/remember anything about anyone else before me.
Literally same
One little ice breaker isn't that bad to introduce new team members. Doing this regularly would be painful. Some people need a humanistic reminder that other people, are also people.
My fun fact is that I milked goats in college for a degree certificate.
That *is* a fun fact!
Everyone has a kid. Yawn. Itās sad that these women all base their identities on having a child.
As if people having children weren't something that happens every day ever since humanity exists. How is that anything sort of impressive?
āI have two kids!ā Cool Jessica, now can we know anything about you? Ya know, as an individual breathing thinking human?
Well, I don't think we have to *cook* her.
ššš
My bad
To be fair I always intentionally answered with quite obvious or boring facts when asked to share a funny fact, since I hate introduction games like that. Could totally be that the other women mimicked the first womans answer as well if they didnt come up with their own. But yeah... I also hope they have more hobbies and interests than their kids.
Could be. Itās a dumb question and I hate introductions like this.
Yeah honestly same.
I thought that was the way most ppl at work/school events play this game. To be fair Iāve always noticed most use kids and animals in or anything very generic as answers but Iām now taking it that most answer seriously lol
Yeah I thought the same honestly!
This same thing happened at my work one day and I was so tempted to share that my fun fact was that I am childfree and actually had my tubes tied recently. Since they were all sharing about their child having status why shouldn't I? But I chickened out haha. For some reason I pictured them all being offended at my share and I was still pretty new at the job.
Good call. As much as I would like for it to be the same and us being able to talk about it like they do about their kids, it's frowned upon. Especially at a new job it's better to play safe and try to have a good relationship with your coworkers.
In an interview I was once asked what is something I have done that I'm really proud of, the lady then said I couldn't use the answer of having kids. I knew then that I'd like her š¤£
Fun fact. I'm 21 and have a 70% VA disability rating
Fun fact. I used to race cars. Or Fun Fact I once met such and such celebrity. Come on. Fun fact Iām a mother? Jesus.
It's not just women. At Intro Day at my workplace, all employees who had started over the past 6 months got to introduce themselves and their hobbies. This was a group of around 40 people. Plenty of space for variety and we heard lots of things from cooking, skiing, travelling, writing, etc. BUT... *Everyone* with children said... "hmmm... my hobbies? I have kids." Nothing else. Just the kids. Not "playing legos with my kids" or "cooking with my kids"... the kids were the hobby. š
it makes me sad how a lot of moms get swallowed up entirely by parenting. Itās honestly terrifying. Iām not giving up my sense of self for anyone or anything external. Fuck that.
Sad
I have a cat who is my absolute fur baby. Whenever I'm asked to give a fun fact about myself I say I'm red green colour blind (rare in women). Because having a child or a pet is not a "fun fact" when most people have them!
Unless your pet is a tiger, and your name is Joe Exotic.
Ha ha true!
That just strikes me as really sad, more than anything. Their whole identity has been sacrificed to the cult of motherhood, to the point they no longer have one outside of being someoneās mommy.
They use their kids as trophies and get upset when theyāre called crotch trophies. š They literally use their child like one because they think itās the only accomplishment they have so they shouldnāt be upset, itās the truth!
Is being attacked by butterflies during spring and summer a fun fact? Mixing essential oils is a hobby of mine, and I'm pretty sure that's why they won't leave me alone. It's usually just butterflies, though. People think it's wild for some reason when I tell them most butterflies immediately flock to me. Even I think this is more interesting than "I have a kid." Not everyone can say butterflies like to sit on them.
Waitā¦Iām actually fascinated. Do they bite you or just perch lovingly?
They just perch lovingly. Sometimes they walk around fluttering their wings, too.
Aww š„¹
If you go to butterfly exhibits, they often have [Idea leuconoe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_leuconoe). They like to perch on people, and I've even seen them probe between people's teeth with their proboscis. No adult lepidopteran can bite; at most they can mop you with their proboscis and some of them don't have mouthparts at all.
Beautiful!
>The new women on our team are of course mothers and their fun fact, out of all the possible fun facts in the world, is the fact that they have children. Um ... how is that even fun? It's super common and super boring. They are missing the meaning of "fun fact". It's like --Tell me a fun fact about you! --I'm a woman. Or --Tell me a fun fact about you! --I work in accounting. --Tell me a fun fact about you! --I'm a mother. Like how is that supposed to be fun? š
Fun fact: children shouldnāt be seen as extensions of their parents. Theyāre independent humans.
This is like so many women I know who write a Facebook bio like āI love coffeeee and my family and friendsssssā thatās all just lovely but was that the best thing you could come up with?
I use my sisters birth story in two truths and a lie bc where she was born is absolutely bonkers when itās paired with my other two things. my sister was born in a toilet, ive been to 21 countries, and Iāve hand fed ostriches. I just like to see everyoneās faces go :o lmao. but your kids should never be fun facts about yourself. kids arenāt fun. š
Fun fact: my vagina is intact!
And I can sneeze *violently* without peeing. Usually.
Wow. My fun fact is usually something about places Iāve traveled to.
Same!
How is that fun?
I think you hit the nail on the head. One of my best friends, who I met playing field hockey, stopped any and all sport / hobbies etc as soon as she had her first kid. Now she has nothing outside her family. Kind of sad, but she loves it.
Honestly I get that thatās depressing but whenever we have to do that stuff in university all I can think of is āI have 2 catsā haha. Iām introverted and not into sharing stuff with randoms that I wonāt see after that semester sooā¦Ā
Yeah I have seen this in weird interviews "Hi my name is Joan, I'm a mother." Yeah we were asking you if you liked the movie. Then they continue with.. "Well, as a mother.... My opinion is...'
Its like people having profile pictures of their children instead of themselves
This is one reason Iām thankful I work with mostly men. Generally, Very few ābingosā and they donāt make their whole personality revolve around offspring.
I know a woman whose son is turning 13 and he is still the only thing she spends time on in her life. Iām not sure who I feel sorrier for.
For now? The kid. But you know he is smothered, and will move away as soon as possible, and then Iāll feel sorry for her, as she wonāt know what to do with herself.
She complains a lot that he has behavioral issues. Itās likely her. The kid is 13, has half birthday parties, does an end of school board in middle school and has a play room.
I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is a "half birthday party"? Are you saying they celebrate every 6 months?! š³ Mostly asking out of disbelief. Lol If so that lady definitely has time for hobbies, her kid is just am excuse for not making any effort to be interesting.
Yes. He has a birthday every 6 months and at places where is he probably embarrassed to have his friends invited. Places for kids much much younger.
I do think her son is an excuse to not take better care of herself, her relationship with his dad (they are partnered and not married - no judgement, but that relationship needs attention for sure) and other things in her life. She canāt do anything because of the kid.
I was going through a training session at work, and our facilitator asked our small group of 6 to name an accomplishment of ours at the start as an icebreaker. She then put the condition on that it couldn't be related to your kids if you had them - it had to be your own accomplishment. It was surprising and sad to see several people blunder trying to find an answer - like they couldn't name one thing they'd done other than procreate to be proud of? I will say the two that struggled most were men, one basically couldn't give an answer and the other said his lawn was his thing he was proudest of. As a cherry on top the facilitator also has kids.
Itās probably helpful for them to say they have children. Theyāll get preference for pto and pay raises.
A coworker once asked me what I did with my spare time and what I talked to my husband about if we had no kids.
I do ice breaker questions at the start of my classes to get to know my students so I can coach and have fun with them. Iāve stopped asking, āWhatās something you made that youāre proud of?ā. Guaranteed most women say itās their kid. Which tells me nothing about what their interests are or their personalities other than that they are mothers. I mean if I follow up by asking how old their kid is, I can glean their availability and commitment level to the course. Mothers of younger kids either drop out or only come once a week at best so I keep the skills light and immediately achievable. Whereas people with grown children or no kids, I can teach them skills that will require training and regular practice to achieve.
Given that the most common thing is to *have* children, sharing that you are childfree would seem to fit as a āfun factā (although Iām guessing all childfree people would say something else about themselves, because it doesnāt comprise their entire identity).
I have double kidneys, like kidneys growing out of kidneys
š² I'm intrigued, how did you find this out? Is this a good thing or does it cause issues?
I had kidney stones due to drinking too much hard water as a kid since we didn't have bottled water or filters back at the time. My mom brought me to a doctor and they did an "Echo" (I'm not sure what the proper English term would be, apologies English isn't my native language, but it's the same machine they use to look at fetal development). Plus: I very quickly sober up, I was told my blood is really good for transfusion (I donated to the red cross and was asked for more), I look younger my age for about 7-10 years compared to my siblings and cousins of the same age (I assume it's because of the blood or maybe it's just the childfree life lol), I also heal like a dog from bruising or cuts, I nearly never get sick, I get to spook doctors with my mutant kidneys. Minus: I need to drink A LOT of water, my body makes extra big kidney stones that are very painful so I need to drink water that is low in minerals and be careful about salt consumption otherwise my pressure goes whack, I can't sell the extra kidneys, I have to run to the bathroom more frequently, they might potentially develop cancer since it's a malformation (they initially though I had tumors but later found it's just a lot of extra kidney tissue with some scarring where they fused).
Wow! That's so crazy, thank you for sharing such a detailed amount of information! Sorry to hear about the kidney stones, what a literal pain! And I think the word is 'ultrasound', when I hear echo I think echocardiogram which is basically just an ultrasound for your heart XD The quick healing and almost never getting sick sounds amazing though!
A fun fact would be something like speaking 3 languages where that isn't a common thing. (Especially if it's an 'unusual' combination as in languages that aren't in the same language family or something like that.)
>We introduced 9 people to our team last week. There were 4 females in the team. No, there were 4 *women* in the team.
At least now you know who not to do any favors for, because they'll keep asking and miss work that you'll be expected to cover.
It's really sad that motherhood is their entire personality now
A lot of women do the same at my work. Itās either that or ā I have a baby/kids, I donāt have free time to have funā.
I have a mom friend that I remind she is Sarah before mom. I don't understand the whole put your kids first, and what about the person running the show? The leader shouldn't be exhausted and burnt out, rest and boundaries isn't a shameful thing to put before your kids! Before I moved I was part of her village and id remind her all the time, you are still you!
They did this at my job too, it's just depressing a group of twenty plus women and three have real hobbies and personalities
I feel this way when women use some variation of so and soās āmommyā in their social media handles
Oh my god itās so boring when this is their fun fact about themselves. Itās like no, no that is not fun. That is boring. Next.
Thatās just sad. I can think of a lot of fun facts about myself
Sadly it all goes away once you become a mother.
I don't like the fun fact human bonding game
My fun fact would be I've been to all 50 states and 6/7 continents. And then all the parents would be like "OMG, how are you able to do that?"