Things you find a bit odd about Mumsnet

[valerianroot]

Let me start by saying this is 100% lighthearted and fueled by being a bit bored in my last hour before weekend officially begins.

Anyway, I ventured onto the Royals board recently and found it a bit weird that people refer to Kate Middleton as Catherine. Now, I know that's her full first name (well I assume it is) but I've never heard anyone IRL refer to her as anything but Kate. Maybe I'm behind the times as my Royals knowledge isn't very up to date (as you'll notice by calling Kate Middleton.)

I'm sure I'll regret starting this but anyone else have anything?

@Chestnut23

The double standards when it comes to snooping round hubby’s phone, iPad etc. if it was the other way around there’d be uproar!

The weirdly aggressive gender/sex people - how about live and let live?

The number of people who can’t spell “lose” (or “nice”…)

Naice makes me cringe but rather that than "hubby".

It's not a general problem and it's not labour policy. Tories policies are harmful and have inflicted pain to a large proportion of women for more than a decade. Can we get a sense of proportion and honesty about the driver for this?

@CaliforniaDrumming

A very high level of social anxiety, I think higher than in real life. In some cases, even paranoia. The belief that school gate mums are cliquey, office colleagues are out to get you, everyone at a party is staring at you and hates you...

But school mums ARE cliquey. In fact I've just read a chick lit book which was premised on exactly that. It was hilarious actually.

@TheToddlerLife

The hatred people on MN have for perfectly ordinary, innocuous things that no one is bothered about IRL is weird. Eg. Bows on babies, girls' clothes with unicorns on them, Pandora bracelets, Yankee candles, new build houses, hen dos, hot tubs, just to name a few.

And Molton Brown toiletries

@JuergenSchwarzwald what was the name of the book, I want to read a hilarious book!

This one: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089T6N28C/ref=ku_mi_rw_edp_ku?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

That some posters, follow every post and will say "have you written this before" as if you are committing a henius crime. Then name check you, look at all your past posts etc and Drill down into your posting history.

I have had many Issues I've had amazing help with and have to name change because of these strange posters with absolutely nothing better to do. Probably the same ones who then come onto fun threads and stamp them out crying "troll" troll!!!

It can't be this funny it's a troll.

All the fuss about a middle name when naming a baby.
How often do you use it ?
Does it really matter ?
I don't know the middle names of my friends.

The oddest thing for me is that you've no idea what anyone looks like. When someone writes and i'm reading it i always imagine a slim woman with brown bobbed hair dresses in boden type clothes, and with a boring middle class english accent. (Thats not me btw) Thats if they havent mentioned they have a weight issue. And some people are just out for an arguement or they made things up.

I am also baffled about how many people, women, live in the middle of nowhere, can't drive, have no public transport, no money oh and no friends or relatives to ask for help!

And the advise, could you change jobs and earn more? Or move house? yeah that's the sort of thing you do lightly and quickly isn't it?

“Take in a lodger” is also trotted out a lot as a solution.

Because taking in a stranger is a really easy option for someone with three kids in a three bed house that’s just been left up shit creek by their ex.

Not to mention that a) it could cause a shit load of problems with benefits (and even relatively well paid people have claims because of the cost of childcare) and b) there’s hardly a queue of lodgers who’d be into that house share (and be ones that are actively keen on it should probably be avoided)

I hate the abbreviations, and don’t use them, but I’m really relieved to find that SO stands for significant other, and not (as I thought) special one.

The worst thing about the abbreviations is posts where people are talking about awful things their husband, or children or friends or parents have done. Sometimes really terrible things, but they’re still saying DH, DM or whatever

I've just thought of another one. Everyone on MN works for an employer who puts an express clause in their employment contracts saying you cannot work while looking after a child.

I have worked in quite a few places and never had a contractual clause like this.

Particularly on the Christmas board, the obsession with hot chocolate, as if it were some rare, heavenly elixir, and not something anyone can make cheaply in a few minutes.

@greenlynx

I agree it’s odd that there isn’t an edit button and you can’t unbookmark.

I’m always surprised that people think that nice bedding/ flowers/ extra throws etc will make a difference to selling a house.

Me too, but some people simply can’t see beyond the superficial.

@JanuaryBluehoo

That some posters, follow every post and will say "have you written this before" as if you are committing a henius crime. Then name check you, look at all your past posts etc and Drill down into your posting history.

I have had many Issues I've had amazing help with and have to name change because of these strange posters with absolutely nothing better to do. Probably the same ones who then come onto fun threads and stamp them out crying "troll" troll!!!

It can't be this funny it's a troll.

Yes any funny spelling mistake or daft accidental typo sort of thing always has a few wet blankets pissing on everyone's joy and laughter

People who are the first commentor and quote post the opening post. It's right there above you no need to quote it.

@JustLyra

“Take in a lodger” is also trotted out a lot as a solution.

Because taking in a stranger is a really easy option for someone with three kids in a three bed house that’s just been left up shit creek by their ex.

Not to mention that a) it could cause a shit load of problems with benefits (and even relatively well paid people have claims because of the cost of childcare) and b) there’s hardly a queue of lodgers who’d be into that house share (and be ones that are actively keen on it should probably be avoided)

In my late twenties I rented a room from a woman in that situation. She had three kids, although one of them had just moved out into her own flat. The two at home were 15 and 12.

It was a really brilliant homeshare. I’d just moved to a city to take up a job in a University and she was piecing things together from child maintenance, her job in a whole food co-op, her side hustle selling raw vegan foods, renting a room to me and making micro-loans to women in the global south via a specialist online portal.

I was vegan at the time and we shared a lot of interests like yoga and the environment. We chatted a lot. I got on with the kids too, used to watch Despwrqte Housewives with the youngest. As well as YouTube cat videos.

One of the things I really liked about it was I felt part of the household and also that I was helping someone out.

It reminded me of when my mum and dad split up and my mum rented out the two attic bedrooms to a couple of postgraduate atud btw. Thank here was a little kitchen upstairs between their rooms with a small table and a couple of chairs. I used to go up and chat to them whilst they cooked. I was about four or five at the time and it was really nice/

I think very few people would want to take in a lodger

I would assume that they would want friends around and partners to stay all normal things that most like to do people

That would be an absolute no no for me around a child