What NOT to Talk About when You're Out with Your Girlfriends

I was recently having dinner with a group of girlfriends who I have known since high school. We all get together 5 to 6 times a year to celebrate each other's birthdays. We are all married and have either one or two children.

I have never been so disappointed in the dinner conversation I was stuck in with these friends. It made me realize that there should be some rules set forth on what NOT to talk about when spending time with your girlfriends.

The main topic of the night was Swine Flu. I was subject to at least 45 minutes of dull observations on what each friend's pediatrician thought about the H1N1 vaccine and how they were going to get their kid the shot despite the vaccine shortage in our area.

Although Swine Flu is a current hot topic, please do not discuss it with me when I am trying to enjoy a rare girl's night out.

The next topic that elicited a yawn from me was potty training. I know how exciting it can be when your kid is in the process of not needing diapers anymore. However, most people are not enthused to hear about your trials and tribulations with the potty.

My kids are 4 and 7 years old and have been using toilets for some time now. Please save the potty talk for newer moms or internet parent chat rooms.

I tried to wrestle from my friends some gossipy and intriguing conversation by actually coming out and asking, "Does anyone have some good gossip to tell?" Unfortunately, no one took the bait.

A good way to harmlessly gossip is to dish on some publicly known Facebook information that was recently posted about old acquaintances that we all know, but are not close to or actually friends with.

This type of gossip is innocuous because Facebook info is public record and it's always fun to hear the scoop on people we knew from high school.

The last topic I don't want to hear about is how much you love or hate your job. If you love your job, then good for you. But to me, it's boasting and bragging to announce how good you have it with your career.

If you hate your job, I also don't want to hear about how bad you have it. I am a strong believer that everyone has choices in life. If you hate your job, then get another job or start your own business.

What I would like to hear about your job is some gossip about how a co-worker or neighbor (whom I will assume we all don't know) cheated on her husband or was caught embezzling money from the company. That's the kind of intriguing dinner conversation that makes me happy.

So please friends, next time I am out with you, have a few good stories lined up to keep me interested. I don't get too many girls' nights out, so when I am finally socializing without my husband and kids, make me excited to be with you.