| I was at a conference recently when I ran into a | | | | out of drug rehab. Doesn't he look great?" or |
| woman who started talking about her only son. | | | | "Hey, we tried to get him into the local |
| The conversation about her son didn't start | | | | community college but it looks like he might need |
| spontaneously. We had been talking about some | | | | to join the Army instead." |
| other things. You know, trying to break the ice | | | | Sure. I realize that when children do well it's only |
| and get to know each other on a professional | | | | natural to want to brag about it. After all, aren't |
| level. This was no come on. It was the type of | | | | these kids just an extension of the parents. An |
| "What do you do?" type conversation. Eventually, | | | | example of great genes. Or great parenting. |
| the conversation got around to her kid -- an only | | | | This may be so but it's not every stranger or |
| son. | | | | professional contact that needs to hear about it. |
| It seems her son is a senior in high school, makes | | | | For one thing, if the person your bragging to |
| great grades ("straight A's") and has a fairly | | | | doesn't have a kid worth equal bragging it kinda |
| responsible position at a local pizzeria. Hey, that's | | | | makes 'em feel a little, er, awkward. Or, it there is |
| great. Then it occurred to me that I rarely run | | | | no kid involved it's, like, so what. |
| into mothers who brag about their kid who might | | | | Either way, bragging may best be reserved for |
| be having a little difficulty with their grades or | | | | the purely social event or school event or family |
| might not be a sterling overachiever. | | | | event. Pulling out the kid's resume at professional |
| "Hey, here's a picture of my kid right after he got | | | | conferences may not be the best way to go. |