Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mum of girls (Caitlin Moran) telling us mums of boys how to speak to our sons

256 replies

Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:29

Thanks 🤔

OP posts:
ScrewedByFunding · 04/04/2025 15:43

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 15:40

So do I - 3 boys and 2 girls 🤷‍♀️.

Show quote history

Ok so not the same as Caitlin Moran then? Which is the OP's point.

pearbottomjeans · 04/04/2025 15:43

Agree with you OP. I have boys and girls. The whole ‘girl mum’ thing is an annoying reductive stereotype I hate to be true, but sadly I have met some women who genuinely embody the ‘girl mum’ vibe and are openly horrified to learn I’ve been cursed by having sons. People have said some crazy shit to me about having boys. I don’t need advice from someone like that.
As it goes, my girl is the trickiest so far actually!

Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:43

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 15:41

They aren't different species, but it would be disingenuous to pretend they don't come with different challenges. Many more teenage boys than girls will end up as rapists, abusers and (a very few) murderers.

Edited
Show quote history

Indeed

so following that line of thought, it seems an odd choice of mumsnet to employ the services of the mother of daughters and no son to advise us how we should speak to “our teen sons”

OP posts:
Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 15:41

Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:39

so why couldn’t the article be “how to talk to your teens” in that case?

Show quote history

They aren't different species, but it would be disingenuous to pretend they don't come with different challenges. Many more teenage boys than girls will end up as rapists, abusers and (a very few) murderers.

Nameychangington · 04/04/2025 15:41

Caitlin Moran has made a career from writing about being a woman, while pretending not to know that men aren't women. She's made a career as a writer, without any education or qualifications. Holding forth on stuff she knows little to nothing about is basically what she does.

Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:41

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 15:40

So do I - 3 boys and 2 girls 🤷‍♀️.

Show quote history

Me too. 2 boys one girl

OP posts:
Firenzeflower · 04/04/2025 15:41

She needs to make some cash.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 04/04/2025 15:40

She is very annoying...

Newbutoldfather · 04/04/2025 15:40

@Suitablefor ,

Her and MN are just trying to take advantage of the zeitgeist around ‘Adolescence’.

It’s not about the boys, it’s about the dosh.

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 15:40

ScrewedByFunding · 04/04/2025 15:35

Why do you think parents of boys care what your opinions are? Are you superior parents?

(I have both girls and boys btw).

Show quote history

So do I - 3 boys and 2 girls 🤷‍♀️.

Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:39

JudithWithABigKnife · 04/04/2025 15:38

Boys and girls aren't different species. I don't think you have to be a parent of either boys or girls, or indeed a parent at all, to have perfectly valid ideas on how to talk to children.

Show quote history

so why couldn’t the article be “how to talk to your teens” in that case?

OP posts:
Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:38

Newbutoldfather · 04/04/2025 15:37

You are very right.

So many people are better qualified, child psychologists, teachers and even mothers with successful sons!

I have no idea why she thinks she has any expertise whatsoever in this area.

Nor why HQ presumably my paid her to do this unless she’s flogging something discretely

OP posts:
SalmonEile · 04/04/2025 15:38

I had a look -
“When researching my book, What About Men?, I asked dozens of experts for their advice on bringing up happier teenage boys - who live in a world of online chatrooms where talk of depression can be met with emojis of nooses and knives, and boys are encouraged to mistrust adults who “don’t understand” the realities of their lives. Here are five things I learned.”

I mean I guess it’s not just her opinions alone but stuff she’s researched from others that may or may not be useful

JudithWithABigKnife · 04/04/2025 15:38

Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:33

It’s all over the banner on mumsnet

I clicked it and such nuggets of advice as not to sit how sons down and ask them if they’re planning to murder someone

and fact she doesn’t have sons but thinks in all her wisdom she should tell us how to speak to our sons is…. Well a bit silly

Edited
Show quote history

Boys and girls aren't different species. I don't think you have to be a parent of either boys or girls, or indeed a parent at all, to have perfectly valid ideas on how to talk to children.

Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:38

OneTC · 04/04/2025 15:37

Have you raised a menace and this is why you're so defensive?

Yes because that is the only reason someone might think it odd to recruit a woman who is not the mother of boys to tell mums of boys how to speak to them

OP posts:
Newbutoldfather · 04/04/2025 15:37

You are very right.

So many people are better qualified, child psychologists, teachers and even mothers with successful sons!

I have no idea why she thinks she has any expertise whatsoever in this area.

Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:37

OllyBJolly · 04/04/2025 15:36

I think she's exhausted her "How to be a girl" grift and is looking for ways to prolong the franchise.

I did enjoy her earlier pieces but find a lot of the writing quite tedious now.

Agree
and
Agree

OP posts:
OneTC · 04/04/2025 15:37

Have you raised a menace and this is why you're so defensive?

OllyBJolly · 04/04/2025 15:36

I think she's exhausted her "How to be a girl" grift and is looking for ways to prolong the franchise.

I did enjoy her earlier pieces but find a lot of the writing quite tedious now.

ScrewedByFunding · 04/04/2025 15:35

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 15:32

Mothers of girls are allowed to have opinions on the parenting of boys? 🤷‍♀️

Why do you think parents of boys care what your opinions are? Are you superior parents?

(I have both girls and boys btw).

Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:35

Heronwatcher · 04/04/2025 15:33

What? Maybe as a mother of girls she sees how her daughters are being spoken to by boys and has some ideas. Listen to her if you want, decide whether it seems sensible or not, move on with your life…

It’s a massive banner on mumsnet homepage
take a look maybe

OP posts:
Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:34

Smallmercies · 04/04/2025 15:32

Mothers of girls are allowed to have opinions on the parenting of boys? 🤷‍♀️

Sure thing

but mumsnet have recruited her to tell us specifically how to speak to our sons

surely they could have rustled up someone who did indeed have a son?

OP posts:
Heronwatcher · 04/04/2025 15:33

What? Maybe as a mother of girls she sees how her daughters are being spoken to by boys and has some ideas. Listen to her if you want, decide whether it seems sensible or not, move on with your life…

Original poster
Suitablefor · 04/04/2025 15:33

JudithWithABigKnife · 04/04/2025 15:30

What are you talking about? Did you miss posting a link to something?

It’s all over the banner on mumsnet

I clicked it and such nuggets of advice as not to sit how sons down and ask them if they’re planning to murder someone

and fact she doesn’t have sons but thinks in all her wisdom she should tell us how to speak to our sons is…. Well a bit silly

OP posts:
user1471538275 · 04/04/2025 15:33

It's on the home page of mumsnet.

5 bits of advice from CM to mothers of boys.

No thanks CM.

Swipe left for the next trending thread