Does Mumsnet represent motherhood at all?

[DontKnowWhat]

I'm not a troll but an exceptionally confused eighteen year old girl after reading mumsnet.

I'm aware that parenting is very demanding and hard-work even at the best of times, but can somebody at least tell me that they enjoy it? Reading this website has put me off the idea reproducing permanently if all I've got to look forward to is parental competition, a crap husband, a huge mortgage, school catchment areas, celibacy and the only sense of self-worth I'll have is whether I breastfed, co-slept and cloth nappied my children until three and forced them to only eat Waitrose food, dress in Boden and play with wooden toys.

But this forum (maybe for the benefit of society) is making me think about getting myself permanently sterilised and whacking my head with a frying pan until I turn asexual. I don't want to only be proud of my parenting methods but more by my offspring or myself as an individual. Nor do I want to use my husband solely as a sperm and money donor and some guy I constantly whinge about.

Yeah, I have the common sense to realise that this is mainly because people complain about their problems instead of enthusing about their lives. And I know maybe many mumsnetters will not meet any or some of these criteria and have a lot more genuine stuff to complain about. But this place feels really ranty and snobby about everything - I'm not just talking about this section btw.

Please can somebody at least tell me that they enjoy parenting? Or that they don't portray this ridiculous ghastly stereotype I've seemed to get into my head?

this notion of seeking privacy on a public forum is incongruent.

I think Scottishmummy may need to reboot.

it could be orange actually

i agree with her.

I'm a member of another parenting forum and its the same over there - suspected journalists treated with contempt. I don't get it. Public forum, anyone can join, what's the big deal with journalists using the forum for inspiration?

None of this is private.

reboot the dats a troll want widdle privacy on public forum. nah they are beyond help

Sorry, what now?

There is no big deal with journos using this site for 'inspiration'. God knows they need all the help they can get with that one.

My beef is that they pretend not to be journos is quite such a pathetically transparent way. And that is dishonest and unfair to people who might wish to engage with them.

This is nothing to do with forum being public but about journalistic integrity, which I guess is now an oxymoron

Scottishmummy, are you having a stroke?

Well, I huess if they told the truth we would all perform for them, and our replies wouldn't be as spontaneous or honest.

If I were a journo I wouldn't let on.

which one of mn founders was journo?its in mn core

Hi Mchobbes

I thought all those things as well, but devious people who wanted a grandson, nephew etc reassured me it would all be like living in Wonderland. I believed! But you are right, it isn't as bad as you might think, mainly for me because the joy of being a mother outweighs everything else. It is hard work though, and nothing really prepares you for that - especially relatives and friends who will tell you it isn't

Justine, who presents herself as....Justine.

The points she raises could potentially be interesting points - why are so many of us unhappy and unfufilled etc, chasing pointless Boden aspirations.

But what is wrong about saying - this is my agenda, what do you think? I would be happy to get into a debate, it is a debate worth having.

But posing as an '18 year old' - ffs. What 18 year old is debating these kind of issues, no matter how intelligent, educated or articulate you are you are still 18 and not likely to have that kind of perspective. In my opinion.

At 18 on a Saturday night/Sunday morning I don't think I ever spent time thinking about motherhood. Unless you count making sure you have change for the condom machine.

Erm... thanks for your many replies, this forum is busier than I thought so didn't spend my time hovering obsessively. I'm quite shocked that you all think I'm a journalist because I'm not using text speak and have a vocabulary beyond swear words. Anyway, if I was a Daily Mail journalist - I wouldn't be as articulate.

I'm just bored as hell researching fields of medicine and somehow when wondering what the hell paediatricians do and what babies are actually like - wound up here a few weeks ago. I only discovered all these terms like co-sleeping a few weeks ago.

I guess I?ve only looked on the forum further to see a more ?middle-class? environment than what I?ve been exposed to in my home town. As some sort of bizarre motivation to become ?middle-class? and escape from my decaying northern mill town. I know that sounds utterly wanktastic, class-obsessed and bizarre but it?s true. I used to imagine being some sort of crazy part-time Nigella Lawson and part-time GP with perfect poppets and a husband to match. You all burst that bubble.

I'm not out on the lash since I lack the funds or as you prefer - "I ain't goin' out coz I'm like skint". Plus I?d have to catch a train to go anywhere decent. Or else I'd be the snogging the local boys limited to acne-ridden chronically-unemployed JSA-claiming chavs. So no snogging for me tonight anyway. I?m currently being a sad arse but I do have a social life and enjoy my yoof as much as I can.

mnhq is media savvy.look at the webchats,this isnt a bunch of pals having private chinwag.its an online brand and forum

Anyway, off to join the sleeping sperm donor. Night all.

text speak..?

You'll fit right in when you're older then- but you won't have the dodgy past of most MNers.

I guess its just your bad luck then Genuine Teenager that you framed your post in the way you did. I am an avid reader of many suspect organs, and your post seemed like a simple rehash of so many lazy cliches.

If you are for real, you do need to understand that your life need not be shaped by what you read on the internetz.

Even middle class husbands miss the toilet bowl. Really going to bed now.

Oh DontKnow - you do sound like me as a youngster. Absolutely desperate to escape a hideous small town life and escaping what I though of as a completely unsatisfactory small minded life.

Ignore people who say troll. If you are a 40 something journalist named Amanda Platell or whatever it doesn't matter (other than, Mandy, wear better make up matey)

And to be honest, as an adult life is a bit odd sometimes. I am a 30 som ething professional with a pretty high level job, but I think pretty much the same as I did when I was a teen, and suspect that someone is going to catch me out in meetings etc.

Good luck in escaping from Dewsbury or whatever.

op not your bad luck.too many troll torch wavers on mn.salivaing at thought of catching/tricking/revealling someone anyone as troll

Get out as quickly as you can, and don't have any kids yourself.

So much of that last post gave it away but Wanktastic was the best. I think you're a man too.

Yeessssss.

Have a

Bedtime...