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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask for things that happen on MN that you’ve never seen happen IRL

433 replies

JandamiHash · 08/05/2025 23:35

I’ve never seen or heard a parent refer to their child as “sexy”

I’ve never seen anyone having a nap on a public bench.

I’ve never seen someone cajole their daughter into the aisle at a wedding so they can be a stealth bridesmaid

All the above is what I’ve read about on MN recently that people do and have seen before done, regularly.

OP posts:
Disturbia81 · 09/05/2025 20:44

Picklepower · 09/05/2025 19:53

Never seen anyone wearing the hideous, expensive bin bag dresses that are regularly trotted out on S&B threads.

Never known any real life drama around a trans person in the women's toilet or other women's spaces.

Don't know anyone who happily lives on 1200 calories a day to remain slim and never has a treat or an alcoholic beverage.

No I’ve never met anyone bothered about trans, everyone I know is accepting and just live and let live, it doesn’t even register.

Crushed23 · 09/05/2025 20:34

XelaM · 09/05/2025 00:49

I must say I don't know anyone in real life who charges their young adult kids rent for living at home. This seems very common on MN, but I have never come across it in real life.

I have also never come across people who wouldn't invite their nieces/nephews to their weddings and insist on keeping them child-free at any cost. Again, a common occurrence on MN.

Edited

Totally agree on the rent point. Virtually all of my university friends, as well as my siblings, spent some time living back home after university. Never heard of anyone paying their parents rent. I was shocked to read on MN that people charge their 18 year-olds rent - complete eye opener.

TwistedWonder · 09/05/2025 20:21

FrillySocksAndDocs · 09/05/2025 16:05

My husband's affair caused me to have a complete mental breakdown, I was psychotic and even 15 months on I'm still on Prozac, lorazepm, quetiapine, propranolol and zopiclone. It has completely ruined my life.

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My work colleague committed suicide while she was pregnant when she discovered her husbands affair so yes I do judge cheats.

GingerLiberalFeminist · 09/05/2025 20:21

I've never been to a hen do lasting more than an evening, let alone a week and abroad! But maybe that's cos I have no friends

I've unwittingly worn white based floral dresses to weddings and not been pulled up on it.

I've never been to Centre Parks (soo much money!) but people seem to go several times a year on here!

I did however pay my parents board when I was working

I've never seen a trans woman in a ladies loo.

I've never had botox or any other surgery (the thought has crossed my mind though!)

Picklepower · 09/05/2025 20:07

Oh also, people who know no other people, have no family help and no friends. Don't have any support in an emergency. What a ridiculous situation to get yourself in to. To not even make a few acquaintances at the school gate for a school run emergency.

I assume these people exist but obviously I don't come across them because they won't talk to anybody

Fluffyyellowball · 09/05/2025 20:04

AffIt · 09/05/2025 00:23

I've never met anybody who's had sepsis (and I have a fairly broad and varied social circle), yet if half of the A&E threads on Mumsnet are to be believed, most people have had it at least four times.

Lucky you. My dad had sepsis and sadly passed away from it.
People need to be very aware of the signs and get medical help if they suspect it. If it gets mentioned on here and people get help then that could save a life.

Picklepower · 09/05/2025 20:00

3luckystars · 09/05/2025 16:00

I have never seen anyone react so badly to someone having an affair. Anyone I have heard about doing it, in real life, people don’t seem to care at all. Here, even having a dream about it is like a murder.

I think this says more about the people you socialise with than it does MN. Affairs are hideous behaviour and I've never been directly impacted by one

Picklepower · 09/05/2025 19:53

Never seen anyone wearing the hideous, expensive bin bag dresses that are regularly trotted out on S&B threads.

Never known any real life drama around a trans person in the women's toilet or other women's spaces.

Don't know anyone who happily lives on 1200 calories a day to remain slim and never has a treat or an alcoholic beverage.

tuvamoodyson · 09/05/2025 19:52

JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch · 09/05/2025 19:44

I don’t eat other people’s home baking, inspection or no.

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Very much depends who has made it…my friend is an excellent baker and spotlessly clean, I’d eat her baking.

JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch · 09/05/2025 19:44

TwistedWonder · 09/05/2025 19:36

I don’t know anyone who refuses to eat home made cakes unless they examine the bakers kitchen first

I don’t eat other people’s home baking, inspection or no.

notimeforregrets · 09/05/2025 19:38

JackGrealishsCalves · 08/05/2025 23:38

I've never heard anyone say That doesn't work for me

I do that :) and then just stare until the other person gets uncomfortable.

TwistedWonder · 09/05/2025 19:36

I don’t know anyone who refuses to eat home made cakes unless they examine the bakers kitchen first

BethDuttonYeHaw · 09/05/2025 19:17

I don’t know anyone that cleans their homes as much as people do on MN

Butchyrestingface · 09/05/2025 19:13

ilovepixie · 09/05/2025 19:06

Boak is used frequently in Northern Ireland.

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And Scotland.

Pure gies me the dry/wet boke/boak.

Disturbia81 · 09/05/2025 19:09

CarpetKnees · 09/05/2025 18:56

If nothing else, this thread has confirmed that a LOT of MNers must live really sheltered lives, and must only ever mix with - and even only be aware of - a very small group of people "just like them".

No I’ve lived in different cities, towns, villages.. I mix in working class, middle class and know a lot of people through work, travelling etc and still have only heard some things on MN.

ilovepixie · 09/05/2025 19:06

FoxesBisQuit · 09/05/2025 01:48

I have never seen a stunt pineapple in the wild.

I have never heard anyone use the word “boak” but read it on here a lot. Made me laugh when I was looking at a list of staff at a school, and one is Mrs Boak.

Boak is used frequently in Northern Ireland.

TwistedWonder · 09/05/2025 18:58

Women talk about their mental load - never heard that expression in my life other than on MN

CarpetKnees · 09/05/2025 18:56

If nothing else, this thread has confirmed that a LOT of MNers must live really sheltered lives, and must only ever mix with - and even only be aware of - a very small group of people "just like them".

tuvamoodyson · 09/05/2025 18:50

TokyoKyoto · 09/05/2025 08:39

It’s a Scots word and those comics are/were (?) made in Dundee. It’s used a lot in Scotland!

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As in ‘it wid gie ye the boak’

Disturbia81 · 09/05/2025 18:46

tuvamoodyson · 09/05/2025 18:28

I wore a cream shift style dress at my nieces wedding…no-one thought I was the bride.

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This is a good one.. I’ve never seen it being a problem either.

tuvamoodyson · 09/05/2025 18:31

Icanflyhigh · 09/05/2025 01:28

I learnt this from mumsnet years ago- at least 15 years, and use it whenever I can!
No IS a complete sentence!

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Me….‘are you putting your name down for the Christmas night out?’

’No.’

tuvamoodyson · 09/05/2025 18:28

HuffleMyPuffle · 09/05/2025 00:10

I've never seen someone publically shunned for wearing white with an obvious pattern/black/red/green/too short/too long/too much skin... at a wedding

I wore a cream shift style dress at my nieces wedding…no-one thought I was the bride.

tuvamoodyson · 09/05/2025 18:25

UpJacksArseAndRoundTheCorner · 08/05/2025 23:40

I constantly see people kipping on benches but then I live in London where there are lots of homeless people and drunks.

I rarely see shop staff actually 'shouting' at customers unless the customer has become aggressive first.

On MN, they scream in your face!

XelaM · 09/05/2025 18:24

CautiousLurker01 · 09/05/2025 16:13

So sorry this happened to you. I know several people, not in MN, who equally fell to pieces when an affair was discovered and divorce followed. One climbed over the OW’s garden wall to spy on her and exH in the garden, police called. She was in bits. 7 years later she still isn’t fully over it but is slowly moving on.

I do also know a few who’ve got mad, got even, and kicked the guy into touch and never given him another thought. How people respond is so varied.

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My friend is currently going through this and I'm so amazed at her strength and reaction to her husband completely blowing up their lives from one day to the next. Married 20 years with two teenage kids and businesses together - completely out of the blue he leaves her for a younger girlfriend he's been cheating with and steals all their joint money, completely cuts her off financially and leaves her with two kids and a house she can't afford to keep. She has been an absolute pillar of strength, filed for divorce, moved house, found a new job and the idiotic husband has now broken up with the girlfriend a few months into the "relationship", but she's not interested at all in taking him back. Honestly, awesome woman and I don't think I could be so strong-headed in such a situation.

Weepixie · 09/05/2025 18:21

XenoBitch · 09/05/2025 17:46

Same here. I ended up sectioned and spent a long time in hospital.

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Just to send the best of wishes to both of you for the heartbreak and devastation caused to your mental health by what happened in your life. I truly, truly do understand what it has done to you, what you have been through and continue to go through and though things will get better as time passes I wish you were better now, and that your life had never taken this turn.

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