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?

How many posters have cleaners, like it’s a normal thing for the average person. In real life I know of one person who has a cleaner, and that’s my 90 year old next door neighbour.

Following on from abbreviations- the dh/dd/dc i can cope with, even if I do wish people would make it clear whether DS is sister/son or whatever, as I’ve read some threads that are quite frankly illegal if you’re reading DP as dear parents rather than dear partner..

But dcat, ddog, dhorse, dpony, dfish, dpuppy?!

It’s not a fucking abbreviation, it’s the same word that is perfectly sensible, with a bloody “d” randomly stuck on the front. Why bother? It’s more effort, doesn’t add anything, and it’s a pet, not an immediate relative. Dog is perfectly fine, ddog is not.

I find some of the aggression odd...almost like Twitter. You state you opinion on something (if it has been requested) and someone quotes you and is very nasty or aggressive or rude, rather than politely disagreeing. Whatever happened to civil debate?

The blatant attempts at getting us to disclose sex stuff for the wankbank in chat or Aibu and everyone can’t wait to jump in and disclose their experiences.

Also, posters who think AIBU forms a legally binding contract and that the OP is obliged to do what the they’re told immediately. I get that the OP has asked for advice, but again in real life if I was to ask a friend ‘what do you think about this situation’, the conversation would probably include a few different options, opinions etc, and then I’d go off and have a think, consider friend’s POV then make my own decision.

On MN, posters will tell an OP to leave their husband then an hour later ask if they’ve left him yet.

@MasterGland

I find some of the aggression odd...almost like Twitter. You state you opinion on something (if it has been requested) and someone quotes you and is very nasty or aggressive or rude, rather than politely disagreeing. Whatever happened to civil debate?

I am on Twitter a lot. I find MN much nicer. There will always be the odd rude poster but overall people are mostly civil except in AIBU.

It amuses me when someone states that ‘no-one does xyz’, despite previous posters already saying that they had done that.

Gp is the best initial - grandparent, general practitioner, or Guinea pig!

The amount of people who call themselves "people pleasers" and avoid all confrontation, no matter how small.

I thought I was quite timid but I'm like a guest on Jerry Springer compared to posters here.

@Warpedfrailty

Any post about pubic hair removal. You will always get these three responses (without fail):

1. Ewww, does your BF / DP / DH like prepubescent girls?
2. You do know that pubic hair is there for a reason, don't you
3. You are influenced by porn you know, there is NO other reason you'd want to remove your pubic hair. No reason. None!

Every
Single
Time

Pubic hair threads and the ear piercing threads on children are always the ones you know will have racked up 100 comments in less than 5 minutes, with all the posters firmly in 2 camps - for or against

The snobbery and xenophobia of the baby names threads.

How many posters have cleaners, like it’s a normal thing for the average person. In real life I know of one person who has a cleaner, and that’s my 90 year old next door neighbour.

I don't have a cleaner but I can only think of one other friend that I know in my town that doesn't have one. (Commuter town) Growing up my mum did cleaning as a side hustle and it didn't seem that everyone had a cleaner there (London suburbs) so I think it depends on the social/economic demographic of where you live.

These two lads:

Often (and I hope it doesn't mean I'm a CF) I notice that people see almost no distinction between blatant cheeky fuckery and simply giving or receiving a favour.
It seems that everyone is very self sufficient (they don't need school mum friends because they already have 10 friends) and uber competent people who never ever need any favours in any circumstances.
Anyone who might occassionally ask a favour is a cheeky, flakey, disorganised failure as a parent and hasn't got to grips with being an adult. In RL, shit happens and you occassionally need a favour, if it happens to your friends you do them the favour. It balances out and is part of normal friendship (in my experience)

So many people on here seem to actively hate everyone. Can't stand their neighbours, don't like their wider family, positively despise their in-laws, can't bear the school run mums etc. I think there's a lot of people on here who just can't socially interact in a normal way.

@PureBlackVoid

How many posters have cleaners, like it’s a normal thing for the average person. In real life I know of one person who has a cleaner, and that’s my 90 year old next door neighbour.

I know a lot of people with cleaners, they are quite affordable for most people these days.

The use of the word Loathe.

I loathe people who (insert something innocuous like put the milk in first).
It's quite a strong emotion.

DDog, DCat, DHamster, DIntestinalWorms

It's called Mumsnet but there's actually very little relevant / decent parenting advice to be found which is what Im after. All kids up to tweens are lumped in together which makes no sense. Parenting my 9 year old has way different challenges to parenting when she was a baby.

@Bitterbean

It's called Mumsnet but there's actually very little relevant / decent parenting advice to be found which is what Im after. All kids up to tweens are lumped in together which makes no sense. Parenting my 9 year old has way different challenges to parenting when she was a baby.

There are different topics for different ages etc. Lots of non parenting stuff too.

The way any child who does something wrong are assumed to have SEN, as if neurotypical children don't get things very wrong sometimes and children with SEN must be all feral 🙄.

I agree with not having a like button. When you see how nasty AIBU gets you can imagine about 50 people liking a post about how stupid the op is and how they must be an idiot in real life because they posted something when in a vulnerable state of mind.

I still find it odd how cruel posters are. You can see why people used to enjoy public forms of punishment.

The absolute hatred and disgust around for what the rest of the world are normal, enjoyable social occasions like weddings, hen parties, christmas do, etc. I just love all the 'can't think of anything worse than a hen party' 'it's the height of rudeness to expect people to spend their own money on an abroad hen,' etc. etc. It's a HOLIDAY with your FRIENDS, what's wrong with that? Plus a lot of people actually have friends that they have things in common with, so if you're not a willy straw and tequila shots person, why would you assume everyone else is? I've been on adventure sports hens with no drinking, casual hens, traditional go clubbing and get wasted hens, just-a-nice-meal hens....and if there was anything I didn't want to do I would have just said no!

Also people expecting that randoms on the internet would have better ideas of their own lives than they do. All the posts saying "I've got a day off, how shall I spend it?" Um, I don't know, what do you like doing? Where do you live? There's no point in me suggesting a walk on the beach and then a coffee and cake if you live in Birmingham and are on a diet.
"What shall I buy DP for his birthday?" I don't know, what does he like? What hasn't he got? What's your budget?
"Shall I take DC to A&E"? etc. etc.

Very narrow minded - if they don’t know someone who earns that much, behaves that way, lives like that it doesn’t exist.

The assumption than any female who claims they earn over £50k is lying.

M

@CheesecakeAddict

The way any child who does something wrong are assumed to have SEN, as if neurotypical children don't get things very wrong sometimes and children with SEN must be all feral 🙄.

Oh and all the abusive cunty men these women live with are 'ASD' - seriously. People are so desperate to excuse abuse.

Something I find weird is when the first poster under the original post has a certain opinion on something and then everyone agrees with that opinion, until someone comes along and gives an alternative opinion which then everyone agrees with. It doesn’t happen all the time, but is a strange phenomenon when it does. Some posters even use the exact same starting sentence as the previous poster.

Also mumsnetters tend to be quite caring about children, but as soon as they turn about 13 God help them because the vitriol towards teenagers is shocking.

There’s also a real trend towards rejecting community. If you’ve had a child you best not think that anyone else (mum/grandparent/aunty) is going to care about that child, because apparently no one else cares about your child and it’s incredibly rude to think they might.