Vipers' nest? Come counter our hissy rep with your stories of Mumsnet Niceness

After I had my miscarriage I received a PM from an MNer who I hadn't chatted to before but she had been on the same TTC thread as me. I hadn't told many people in RL that I was pregnant, none of my friends knew, so I had been finding it very hard carrying on as normal afterwards.

It meant a huge amount to me to receive that little note of sympathy and condolence.

A comment I read several years ago by a MNer with a disabled DC has always stayed with me. She remarked how hurtful it was that when her DC and their classmates were on trips out from school people never smiled at them. They ignored them, or even scowled at them, because they were disabled. I was shocked and it made me look at myself and my own actions. I have always believed I would never knowingly hurt anybody. Now I try to be actively kind, rather than just not unkind. I hope that makes sense and doesn't sound too twee, or smug.

The kind support and ongoing care and tough love of the babes,especially mouse

After a long,boring battle with the booze I finally got my ass to an aa meeting and I've been sober for over 3 months. There is no way that I'd have done this without the fab babes,whose erm...'gentle' support helped me to understand that vino is not really the cure all I believed.

Oh, and really loving the woolly vipers - so cute !

From a personal perspective it was the support I received after having a mc 2 years ago, and then afterwards when I was tcc and my cycles were all over the place, and then when I was bleeding during my next pregnancy (that ended happily thank goodness ).

I've also seen so much support for others that are going through far worse on here, as well as less upsetting problems like trying to find a Spider-Man onesie for a birthday present - mnetters from all over looked in Asda for the OP. It's times like that that I feel proud to be part of this little community

On the subject of fluffy....

The invisible duck,
The little boy who wanted stamps & got letters from MNers all over the world, and MNers helping to give Pombear's DD an unforgettable Christmas present.

None of them are lifechanging on the level of the ectopic pregnancy thread, but they're all examples of MNers working together to make children happy.

I've had friendship & support & a huge amount of entertainment from MN for five years now. That's the side the Daily Mail don't want to see.

I think there are far more nice stories about MN then there are viper ones TBH. They just aren't as newsworthy or we don't tend to be fluffy to journalists.

The sheer amount of support and handholding on the MN special needs boards makes it for me. Many of the parents on that board are going through a pretty hard time but achieve so much for their children, with the support of others.

All the threads around miscarriage, TTC post-MC and getting through the early days of pregnancy have been amazingly supportive. They've kept me sane a) knowing I wasn't the only one b) through the mutual support, hand holding and unMumsnetty hugs

Woolly Hugs make me proud to be an MNetter. Being able to use my craftiness to make squares and blankets for ill children, bereaving families, here and overseas.

Also, the kindness of strangers. I was feeling down and things were getting on top of me at home with my little ones and my housing situation. A kind MNetter put a KitKat in the post to me so I could "Have a break". How lovely is that!

I don't care what the DM or silly celebs say about MN, this is a fantastic place and just reading threads have helped me when I have been in need of advice. I like that the people here tell it like it is and don't fluffify things. Sometimes it takes straightforward comments to help you and you don't want to be mollicoddled (sp?).

Oh god, that thread where some MNers went to help clean up someone's house had me in floods.

My DDs and I got some presents last year thanks to MN secret santa. I cried when they unwrapped them, it was so lovely to be nominated and for a total stranger to send such lovely presents.

You only have to look at any of the support threads, whether it's weight loss, illness, bereavement, antenatal or whatever to see the level of support.

Anyone who thinks MN is a nest of vipers isn't looking very bloody hard. Of course if you pick a controversial thread in AIBU you are going to see a bunfight but that's just one thread of thousands- take a closer look and see how supportive MN can be.

I have had so much advice and support on here, it's been a life line really.

The Secret Santa...

The carpet in my bedroom was from a MNetter, when I moved into this house and we were lacking in carpet and beds a lovely person gave me her old carpet. :)

There has been lots of other things too. MNetters really are lovely, no vipers!

Gosh, where do you start? For the oldies amongst us, there was Mile for Maude and who can forget Pink Peter! I vaguely remember someone who was really nervous about travelling on a train and somehow it was arranged that there'd be a MNer at every station along her journey? Did that actually happen, or am I that old, I'm making it up!

I'm very lucky that I haven't needed any major support for anything in my life, but I did put out a call for a lost toy once, for one of my mindees. She was going into hospital for pretty major surgery and her parents were distraught at the loss of her favourite toy. They mentioned it to me and within 48 hours, a replacement was found and delivered to me.

There are some (and have been) some lovely people on here. I used to love frequenting Lizzies Tea Shop, The Childminders Staff Room and not forgetting the BBBAAAARRR!

It never ceases to amaze me, the kindest and generosity of complete strangers to one another.

Long live Mumsnet!

Maybe not so 'important' as the others, but who remembers Nagoos MOOG?
I loved sending my wee packages away and receiving some lovely things too. I've still got the keyring NorksAreMessy made

Sorry Motherinferior I didn't mean journalist but more the editors who listen more to would be 'famous' people, rather then looking at the whole picture.

The ectopic pregnancy was spookycharlotte, orWellyAnn It must have been in chat because it's not showing in a search. Haven't seen her around for years.

Hard to put into words isn't it - but agree with Orwellyan that we are the first generation to have had this amazing resource - essentially each other's friendship, wisdom, and humour - to draw on in such a broad way through the internet.
It's been amazing to see what we've made of it. The Woolly Hugs are just one wonderful manifestation of this creativity. The kind, encouraging words offered here every day are it's bedrock.

PS one major thing that DOES put me off is the view that all journalists are Evil and to be Despised, though. I am a journalist and I am quite nice.

I've just remembered another one - cheering someone on to finish their (slightly terrifying) assignment.

I started a thread on MN 10 years ago, saying I was thinking of having a home birth but I was scared.

The encouragement and support I got was what kept me going with my home birth plans.

I started another thread a few months later asking for help with keeping on breastfeeding.

The encouragement and support was what kept me going with breastfeeding till my baby was 18 months old.

I've posted about days when I've been going off my head with exhaustion, days when I've resigned in tears from my job, days when I've felt as if I'm swimming uphill through custard....and again and again, I've had encouragement and support.

That's why I stay.

Well, that and the fact there are lots of bright funny posters who make me laugh, obviously.

There have been many threads on various subjects over the years which led to tears, either happy,funny or sad.

There have been threads that the person posting has been living in sheer hell but not knowing quite how bad it is because it has become their life. And only with help from the outside can they then see what every one else sees.

It doesn't matter what time you post their is always someone to help or listen.

I'm on thread at the moment where OP has had the year from hell and just had a baby and someone set up a google map to show the OP from where everyone is. And it was amazing to see that the support for the OP was not just in Britain but across the whole world.

But I do wonder if any newspaper would publish the 'true' face of Mumsnet as it not how they want us to be seen.

Admission, prh47bridge and tiggytape are endlessly patient and helpful on school admissions.

Hi Cup, I think if you and Beatrice often. I was certain I'd see a post from you here.

I hope you and your family are well xx

There were photos on Facebook recently of Billie's Blankets going off to Malawi and it made me very proud to be a Woolly Hugger. The posts from parents of children who have received a Little Hug make me realise how much of a difference they can make and inspire me to make more!

One of the threads that always sticks with me is the mum in Canada who posted about how she worried that it was going to be a rubbish Christmas as she couldn't afford many presents etc for her small daughter. Loads of people responded with excellent ideas about cheap/free things to do and presents to make. The OP ended up being really excited about Christmas. It was properly heart-warming and lovely.

On a personal note, the very wise regulars on the Relationship board gave me tremendous supprt and advice when exP had an affair and walked out (nearly a year ago! ) They were right about everything and I don't think I'd have coped nearly so well without them.

I've had help from lovely, generous women when asking about how to cope with DS's SEN.

I was inspired by the Debka house-tidying thread. We had a massive clear-out on Sunday and prior to starting I said to DH we were going to do a Debka. He was

When my dd3 was born, I was told she was going to die. I had no idea where to turn, other than to MN. Hundreds of anonymous posters offered me support in those early days, and as it became clear dd was going to hang on as long as possible, the wonderful folk on the SN children's board helped me to fight for Beatrice and offered solutions that no medical professional was willing to suggest. Many times Beatrice became seriously ill, and each time, MN was there with prayers or kind wishes.. Eventually after 13 glorious but exhausting months, Beatrice passed away, but MN didn't abandon me. Some lovely MNers even came to her funeral. I'd be nowhere without MN and I know for sure I wouldn't have had the strength or expertise to give Beatrice the life she had, if it hadn't have been for you guys. Thank you MN, you filthy nest of vipers, you...