to not trust non-parents who post on mn

[TheLadyOfTheGreenKirtle]

ha, gotcha! I feel nothing of the sort. as far as Im concerned all are welcome!

but I was wondering whether non-parents who use mn ever feel odd about posting, and read some of the threads and think "ffs, how hard is it really to organise school uniforms/bf/get your child to sit at the table?" etc.

fwiw, i think pre ttc ds I would have felt v intimidated by you all.

It's often people working in childcare so they understand

Well I'm a foster carer to older children so I do sometimes find myself thinking "wow, people get really incensed over breastfeeding" and I think people are insane to contemplate a painkiller free birth.

There are lots of things I don't understand on mumsnet in relation to young children/babies (not least why people have them ) but I have learned loads about modern child rearing.

I only post about things I know about and that doesn't include child-rearing (although I do work with teenagers).

For me, Mumsnet is a kind if Womensnet and there is plenty for non-parents - but it's also fascinating as a non-parent to see how the other half live, so to speak.

I don't think 'ffs that's easy'. I generally assume that if someone says something I haven't done is hard, then it probably is.

But I do wonder why people allow themselves to feel bad (or let other people make them feel bad) for doing something perfectly normal like formula feeding, putting a child in a nursery or occasionally losing their rag.

Must be insane then Laurie, I had a painkiller free birth :o

hmmm interesting so how did you find mn and decide to join?

well I have no children of my own but I nanny for 4 and have worked with others. I do refer to my charges as DC though. Makes it easier and I did have one mother have a go at me as she thought I would have no idea what I was talking about as I had no biological children of my own.
Plus MN has interesting threads about shoes, sex and moisturiser (which I know lots about too )

Laurie - Are you? Wow that must be so rewarding
I'd like to do that when the kids leave home but dh isn't keen

Like GeekyGirl, I see MN more as Womensnet. I don't tend to post on parenting threads unless I have had experience of what the OP is talking about. I might talk about what my mum did with me back when I was a naughty little shit. I do read parenting threads, storing up ideas for when I do eventually have children.

There is a hell of a lot on here for non-parents - I think a lot of parents use MN not just for parenting support but also for downtime away from their children.

Same as GeekyGirl and ant3nna really.

I'm a (pregnant) non parent and a self proclaimed novice at anything child related. Of course I have my own strongly held values and ideas of what's important, but I come on MN mailnly for advice and support.

Wow, no, I never think 'ffs it's easy'!

I do like that because I read MN, I don't feel so clueless about thinking about my own, and I probably don't offend my friends with children so much (I hope).

I do feel a bit sad when people do say that people without children shouldn't be here - and it seems so incredibly cruel to those who are ttc and not getting there.

I came in as a nanny, got hooked, and hopefully will have my mummy wings soon!

Sometimes I will say I'm an imposter but most of the time it's not relevant!

I came to MN looking for baby names for my cousin. And then I came back because I was going to work as an au pair for the summer, but ended up just hanging around AIBU and the feminism section. And I liked it all too much to leave!

i don't ever think "ffs how can it be that hard?"
what i do think is "ffs, how the hell will i ever cope when i have children? my names are just going to be wrong, my children will all run riot and people i've never met will judge me in the supermarket, my children will be expelled from school for having thewrong uniform, etc etc"

(i came in as a bookseller stealing ideas on what the latest trends are - threw myself in at the deepend and now i can't tear myself away!)

although, i did say to my friend when she was staying over "she's a girl" when she was trying (unsuccessfully) to get her daughter to behave.
she took it that i meant "stop being mean to her, she's a girl, be nice", when in actual fact what i meant was "your others are boys, who have been easier to discipline/control/raise - you have yourself said that girls are bloody hard work, and therefore you should not beat yourself up about it"

lol nickelbabe. i know that pre-ds i was v judgey, and was a restaurant manager so when lo's came in i would grit my teeth and seethe about the mess they'd make. if i'd found mn then i probably would have been horrified (before i had it flamed out of me )

Non parent here

Agree with the poster who said this is more like Womensnet. Also find the children stuff rather boring and precious(not all of it but some).

I only post on things that I find interesting, and that I have an opinion on, and there's lots here that is not about kids!

Have got one (a DS that is)and get disagreed with regularly, but that is part of why I like it here! Where else am I going to get such a wide range of opinions/ strategies!?

I have two children and still know nothing about parenting

Phew - glad the title was a joke since I feel constantly guilty for being here and not having children :)

This site is just so addictive - I've never come across so many straight talking and strong females before.

I am constantly in awe of all of the 'jugglers' out there and fascinated to read the 'have just done 14 loads of washing baked 3 cakes, entertained 4 under 2's, paid all bills, built extension on the house etc etc.

And so many of you virtually doing all of this alone at times despite living with husbands, partners etc.

Lots of taking off of hats for the MN'ers from me most days!

I came in for the miscarriage board after losing my first - one of those boards many of you would like to pretend didn't existed. There's a conception board too - many of those people aren't mums either... some would want them out of the way.

Got pregnant again - so guessed I was allowed to be around... babies died. So do I belong here, am I allowed to stay - after all, I'm not a mum to any living children? Just three dead babies who never got to live on this earth.

Yanbu at all, they are clearly up to something...