one of this week's research participants turned out to be a mother from my son's preschool

bronze_moon_418517 Jul 2026

the recruiting agency sends us first names only, so i didn't know until she walked in and we both said 'oh'. we went ahead with the session. it was fine, she was a very good participant. now at pickup she asks how the app is coming along and whether her answers were useful, in front of the other parents. i can't say anything about the project, and i don't want it to sound like i'm brushing her off. i've been smiling and saying 'it helped a lot', which is true but sounds thin. i don't have a question exactly. curious if work has ever walked up to anyone else at the school gate like this.

2 comments

jade_wave_308617 Jul 2026
Happens to us all the time with the store 😅 Parents from my daughter's class want to talk discounts at the gate. I just say 'come to the store, I'll be there' and move to kids' stuff. Maybe say the work part is confidential and switch to the children?
- breezy_bottle_596918 Jul 2026
  Patients at the preschool gate is my version. A light 'I'm off duty here' with a smile works better than I expected. Most people just want to be acknowledged, they don't really want information.
- bronze_moon_418518 Jul 2026
  'come to the store' made me laugh. i can't exactly say 'come to the lab'. switching to the kids is probably right though, her daughter is in his class so there's plenty to talk about.
- willow_pool_860121 Jul 2026
  At the university we have the same thing when a student's parent turns out to be a colleague. What I learnt: say the boundary once, clearly, in private rather than at the gate, and then never let it be awkward again. 'I'm not allowed to talk about studies I run, but thank you for taking part' is enough. It's the repeated vague answers that make it strange.
sage_balcony_86518 Jul 2026
I wonder if she's a bit embarrassed too. She told a stranger her opinions about an app and the stranger turned out to be another parent. The questions might be her way of checking she didn't say anything silly. Telling her once that hers was one of the more useful sessions might settle it.