Things you thought were normal/harmless until joining mumsnet

[Antsinyourpanta]

(Lighthearted )
lots of things that I thought were quite normal /fine/harmless before I joined MM seem to be quite abhorrent to a large percentage of posters. I often find myself wondering about whether my perceived normal is actually the minority. Some examples

Home made food or cakes - I bloody love home made cakes and think they are always nicer than shop bought - my first thoughts when offered one is usually yum, a cake! I've never given a moments thought to whether the person owns cats or dogs or has a hygeine certificate.

Ensuite bathrooms - I've got an ensuite bathroom. It's used for any instance where you may need a toilet. Apparently this is very very wrong.

Eating carbs

Bayliss and Harding toiletries - I would not be offended by this as a gift unless it was from my husband

(I'm with you on Thorntons though - they are nasty)

Answering the door to someone - if I see ex criminals selling stuff door to door, I dont answer, otherwise I dont have a problem with answering the door, and i get on with all of my neighbours.

Speaking to and socialising with work colleagues - i speak to, socialise (outside of work) and am friends with most of my work colleagues. I'd count many of them as friends. We buy each other birthday cards and presents and sometimes bring in cakes. (See point 1)

What are the things you've been educated on since joining MN?

If you make long term friends at the school gate you are an utterly tragic loser. The cool girls either stare stonily ahead with headphones on as not to have to interact with “a school gate mum” (the horror) or become involved in “the drama” or never do the school run because they are too high powered.

I don't wash clothes (except underwear/socks) after a single wear unless they are sweaty or dirty.
In our house we each use our bath towel for a week.
I don't wear pants in bed as I feel too bundled up and clammy.
I eat/use food past its best before date if it looks and smells fine.

All these things are revolting according to mumsnet.

I was also surprised to find out how much some people seem to actively dislike receiving birthday cards and thank you cards. It had never occurred to me that they would be considered clutter/patronising/pointless. I thought it was a polite and kind gesture. I do think more carefully these days - would the recipient LIKE to receive a card?

"Old people smiling at babies"

^This and God forbid anyone touching your baby

Men are never rude to other men or try to rip them off, they only do this to women.

It would never have happened if I was a 6'2 burly man.

Wearing dungarees as a middle aged woman.

They seem to be absolutely loathed on MN…

posters regularly pop on to any thread discussing them to say how hugely unflattering they are, and how awful they make people look.

One poster even commented recently that they found it hard to imagine any man fancying anyone in them

My DH would disagree

Well, on the back of this thread as have bought not one, but two, yes TWO silicone loo brushes

I leave my washing out at night too. Sometimes for several nights if it's rained.

My dog sleeps on our bed, well, until the light goes out and she jumps down and sleeps on the floor. It's as if we fidget or something

My 23 year old ds has just moved out and not only did I do his washing and cook his dinner (along with the rest of my family) we didn't charge him the going rate, or any rate of rent. Our two dds still live at home and they don't pay regularly either, though they do give us money if they've asked for something specific from the shops.

@sittingonacornflake

Having a toilet brush although I do have the silicone Joseph Joseph one which makes it slightly more acceptable to all but the die hard loo brush hating MNers.

I have two of those (ensuites!!!) I hate them. I don't get them at all. waste of lots of money.

Things I've learnt:

A dog should never ever bark.

When you have a baby, you need to lock yourself up in the house with your DP. You are not unreasonable for refusing visits from the baby's grandparents for the next five years.

Never eat carbs. Never give your child a packet of Quavers.

The best name in the world is Alice.

@slashlover

Men are never rude to other men or try to rip them off, they only do this to women.

It would never have happened if I was a 6'2 burly man.

Yes! There was a thread about being intimidated by a male driver recently and everyone replied going it's because you're a woman, he'd never have done it if you were a man. Which is absolute nonsense! My partner has experienced more aggressive driving directed towards him than I ever have.

And don’t dress babies in pink and blue, on mumsnet they will be restricted in gender roles for life.

Keeping nut butter (cashew/almond) in the fridge.

I put up a lighthearted moan about DH trying to throw out my barely-started nut butter because he found it in the fridge & he doesn't eat it. He justified it to me by saying it was probably old & gone off. He also throws out my ready-made salads without telling me because he hates them. Packets of ham, however, (WHICH HE LOVES) stay fresh in the fridge for about 3-4 weeks even after opening, according to him.

I thought it was a funny look at how a marriage works, but everyone ignored that aspect & lectured me on how & why I should keep nut butter in the cupboard, not the fridge, even discussing it between themselves, over my head as it were. They were right, of course. Dammit.

I always thought "hobbies" were activities that were popular but no, apparently there are some that are so niche that the mere mention of what it is will "out" Sandra at number 27's husband.

@HorribleWoman

For DH & me it's been the other way round. Even on the same journey, when I drove the open top car we took that day, I got a lorry driver continually overtaking me & then slowing down, forcing me to overtake him at which point he did it again - in the end I pulled off the road to lose him. Didn't happen to my DH on the same journey in the same car, also with the top down.

Without doing anything to any other driver, I've been sworn at, spat at, hooted at, driven at while the (male) driver laughed at my look of alarm. DH? Nope. Nothing in 40+ years of driving. Mind, he's 6'4" so maybe MN is onto something.

Putting the dog’s dishes in the dishwasher.

Letting the dog lick plates/ saucepans/roasting tins before they go in the dishwasher. Our dog’s tongue was like a Brillo pad - she’d hardly leave a molecule behind.

Oh, and the ‘unhygienic’ shower curtains. I hate screens, they’re never long enough (length of the bath, I mean) and I don’t want to have to clean the wretched thing after every shower.

We’ve had shower curtains* for our 2 baths for over 30 years and no family member or guest has yet caught any vile disease from them.

*not the same ones for 30 years, obv. - I do wash or replace them now and then.

Using towels more than once.
Yes, that's really stuck with me too; the poster who washed towels after every use.

Remembered another one: there is a wrong type of ham.

And picernic (must always be pronounced a la Yogi Bear) bits in general. But ham was a surprise.

TheLightSideOfTheMoon i bloody love this.

Not everyone can spell you’re.

Not washing our soft fruit
Toilet Bowl Brush

I only bath my small child 2-3x a week. She does have eczema, but if she didn't I still think we wouldn't bath her so often.

And real people actually name their child Margot. (Shudders).

That I should anticipate every risk no matter how unlikely and refuse to allow my children to do the tiniest thing that may lead to an injury. This is essential to being a good parent and in no way will hamper their independence or resilience. Anything else is severe neglect.

Going more than a week without changing bedding.
Owning a toilet brush.
Feeding your child fish diners and chips once a week.
Mentioning spending more than £100 on a child for Christmas.
Talking about your step children in a way that may suggest you don’t love them as much as your own children.

What on earth is wrong with fish and chips once a week? I used to love it when my mum cooked fish and chips, it was a splendid meal. She was a good cook.

People wanting money for a wedding gift 😂 and also kids not being invited to
Weddings!!

Work Christmas parties

Any joining in with anything at work / team away days / work drinks etc 🤷‍♀️

Something to do with saturated fat and depleting fish stocks I imagine.

You should have seen the to-do that kicked off about yoghurt the other day...

YOGHURT.