Things on MN that aren’t real life (LIGHTHEARTED)

[Summersun2020]

Thing on Mumsnet that you’ve only ever encountered on Mumsnet (lighthearted...please don’t bowl in with “well I do that actually”...ignore or add one of your own!!

People not using fabric softener...appears that on MN people in their droves think it stinks and is devil juice (I don’t know anyone IRL who is so vehemently against it/gets a migraine from the smell?? Surely it’s not that strong?).

any sort of noise in your garden at any time-kids on a trampoline, playing a radio at a normal level, etc. Completely normal everywhere I’ve ever lived- a cardinal sin on MN!

Sorry that should be 15 years not 25!

@MsTSwift

I never in my 46 years met any English person that just says a flat “no” to a request! It is a cultural impossibility. “Sorry can’t do Monday” or similar fine. “No” bizarre and rude! Ime other nationalities can do this but we cannot.

Replace with a "no sorry".

I have met plenty.

@StillCoughingandLaughing

Don't get me started on "meal planning". Go to the shop and buy the stuff that you need for the meals you are going to eat that week.

Yes, some people do talk about ‘meal planning’ in terms that suggest it’s as time-consuming as and only mildly less complex than negotiating peace in the Middle East.

Add to it life admin and "bill paying".

I'm going to get flamed for this but there are endless threads on here eg

I met DP 6m ago, he was so romantic, great dad to his 2 kids. Now he's being financially abusive and going drinking til 4am every night. I've got a positive pregnancy test and its twins etc etc

And honestly i know no one this stupid in RL.

I also see threads where woman have literally not worked out of the home for 10-15 years and are clearly being financially abused and honestly, in my affluent corner of the south east I have literally never met anyone who's stopped work for more than 2 or 3 years. I dont know a single SAHM of school aged children but apparently they are common elsewhere in the UK.

Oh and never ever met any of the daily hoovering/bedding washing its-a-sin-to-use-a-towel-twice crowd either.

Oh and on MN the faintest suggestion of a badly behaved poorly parented child and OF COURSE said child MUST have SEN and likely ASD.

Never encountered this in real life, my own child can be naughty as fuck on a bad day and I'm certain he's not ASD.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

I'm going to get flamed for this but there are endless threads on here eg

I met DP 6m ago, he was so romantic, great dad to his 2 kids. Now he's being financially abusive and going drinking til 4am every night. I've got a positive pregnancy test and its twins etc etc

And honestly i know no one this stupid in RL.

I also see threads where woman have literally not worked out of the home for 10-15 years and are clearly being financially abused and honestly, in my affluent corner of the south east I have literally never met anyone who's stopped work for more than 2 or 3 years. I dont know a single SAHM of school aged children but apparently they are common elsewhere in the UK.

I also live in quite an affluent area (commuter town) and i can think of at least a dozen friends/aquaintances with tween and teenage children who are SAHMs (presumably out of choice - none have children with disabilities, or SEn, but AFAIK none are being financially abused)

I don't think SAHM are that uncommon, I even have friends who are SAH and don't even have (or want) children.

I know loads of SAHM of school age children and over. Not something that interests me but I would say it’s the significant minority of people I know and lots of others have pass the time kind of jobs, very few have jobs which contribute much above a bit of pocket money

On all the baby-related threads I never knew how common having twins were! As in I kind of did, but in real life I've only ever known of a handful of twins. Yet so many pregnancy posts are twin related! Which compared to all the other things mentioned on here is actually quite a nice thing to see.

It's not being an arsehole to refuse to be treated like a doormat by your family or friends, neighbours or work place

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer I don't think anyone said it was. Did they? I find it perfectly easy to say no without being rude or overly dramatic about it. It's not hard.

@MacDuffsMuff

It's not being an arsehole to refuse to be treated like a doormat by your family or friends, neighbours or work place

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer I don't think anyone said it was. Did they? I find it perfectly easy to say no without being rude or overly dramatic about it. It's not hard.

a flat "no" is not rude, that's the point.

Thought of another one.

IRL it's not ok to put on 11 stone in two years and expect your partner to still fancy you.

... that for some reason you have to know someone for a fixed period of time/number of dates before having sex with them.

@StillCoughingandLaughing

Don't get me started on "meal planning". Go to the shop and buy the stuff that you need for the meals you are going to eat that week.

Yes, some people do talk about ‘meal planning’ in terms that suggest it’s as time-consuming as and only mildly less complex than negotiating peace in the Middle East.

I feel the same about ‘life admin’, if someone finds it time consuming and hardwork I do wonder how they function independently in any area of their life.

People disliking and for some actually hating someone for voting conservative

Labour landslide every single election

The endless list of what is considered rude

The could you get a cleaner response

People disliking and for some actually hating someone for voting conservative
I am in a plce in NW... This is very much reality.

I feel the same about ‘life admin’, if someone finds it time consuming and hardwork I do wonder how they function independently in any area of their life.

hardwork no, but "time consuming"? by definition if you have to spend time dealing with something it IS time consuming

Only on MN must children be asleep at 6pm and up at 5am, and be unable to function any other way

In the real world, some people have a life and children are perfectly happy and healthy to go to bed at a decent time and sleep later in the morning.

All the Co-sleepers (who then throw into the thread how half the world Co-sleep, forgetting that most of those are in very poor countries and have no choice as opposed to Liam and Meghan in their 3 bed semi in Maidstone who simply cannae be arsed to put their wains in their own perfectly nice bedrooms).

I feel the same about ‘life admin’, if someone finds it time consuming and hardwork I do wonder how they function independently in any area of their life.

100% agree with this @SimonJT. I've no idea how people can find this such a struggle or so time consuming. Direct debits for everything and deal with other stuff as it comes in. People sometimes talk on here like they're spending an hour a day sorting out insurance policies.

I've no idea how people can find this such a struggle or so time consuming.

again, because they spend TIME dealing with it? deal with other stuff as it comes in well yes, but that doesn't reduce the time you spend on them.

It's even worst when it becomes the exclusive chore of one partner adding to an already long list.

If you include everything, it's a lot more than setting up a few direct debits.

People have made it a successful business models to offer the services of private PA to deal with this "life admin". Why do you think people spend so much on help, there's a need.

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

I feel the same about ‘life admin’, if someone finds it time consuming and hardwork I do wonder how they function independently in any area of their life.

hardwork no, but "time consuming"? by definition if you have to spend time dealing with something it IS time consuming

Making a few quick phone calls and filling in a few online forms really doesn’t fill under time consuming.

Making a few quick phone calls and filling in a few online forms really doesn’t fill under time consuming.

Someone should fill my mortgage broker in on this. I keep having to track down new, additional pieces of information that are not, in fact, close to hand. It's incredibly annoying and distracting when I'm trying to work!! [And yes, it has made me seriously consider a new mortgage broker]