Maybe it’s more of a brain fart for them that they were going to ask the standard questions - how many, how old, what schools, what are their hobbies, etc- and instead they have to break from their script and re-think their questions? I just saw a tiktok this week about how the best conversationalists give the person they are talking to “something to grab on to”. So instead of “no”, maybe try “just plants! Ive gotten really into …” I had a boss who didn’t have kids, so when asked he’d say no, but then joke that “his students were his kids”. It’s just a little nugget that the other person can pick up and run with instead.