Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if you're not a M, or D then MN is a weird place to be?

69 replies

Spermysextowel · 06/12/2011 05:08

This cannot be a first, so am expecting a lot of replies which require me to dodge bullets, but am seeing a fair few responses along the lines of 'this is what I would do if I had kids, but I don't'. It reminds me of the 40+s roaming bewildered at Legoland, never sure why they're there or what they're doing.

OP posts:
PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 06/12/2011 08:10

They're all hairy-handed truckers, didn't you know?

PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 06/12/2011 08:12

random look just above "Topics: Am I Being Unreasonable?". Click on Acronyms.

pinkdelight · 06/12/2011 08:14

I agree absolutely with all the openness as everyone has said, but in support of the OP, I do find it weird in parenting-related threads when a poster says something like "I've never had kids nor do I want them and I think...". This does happen from time to time and it does make me think, what are you doing here?

CaptainWentworth · 06/12/2011 08:17

I'm one of the weird ones with no children- MN kept popping up when Googling various useful things but I always thought I wasn't 'allowed' to come here.

Got married recently, thinking of children in the next couple of years and found myself doing a lot of lurking, then plucked up the courage to actually join a couple of weeks ago.

Although obviously my first instinct was right and I should un-join...

rubyrubyruby · 06/12/2011 08:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 06/12/2011 08:18

Plenty of the discussions on this forum are not related to our children.

My ds's are older, I tend to be on threads about my dc less and less. Still enjoy the website and the discussions that arise.

rubyrubyruby · 06/12/2011 08:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Spermysextowel · 06/12/2011 08:20

Ok. Some v good answers. I think IWBU. Not with the Legoland thing tho, but perhaps it would've been clearer if I'd stipulated 40+s without children. Or 18+s without children.

Have to go & tidy up before work now. Kids have left those things all over the floor: Wii controls I think they're called. Xmas Wink

OP posts:
hocuspontas · 06/12/2011 08:21

But WHY can't childless people have opinions on children? They have to live in the same world. I find it interesting to hear their side of things.

I have 3 teenagers and apart from Primary Ed I don't really go on the parenting threads at all. I like the AIBU rants, Pedants' Corner and Feminism and Philosophical topics. I don't need to be a parent for them!

CaptainWentworth · 06/12/2011 08:21

PS I would never dream of offering advice about parenting by the way, but I do enjoy reading what everyone has to say. I finally signed up in the end to reply to a poster in Property/DIY who was thinking of moving to my area and wanted to know what it was like- we are buying a house ATM so am finding Property v useful!

Bucharest · 06/12/2011 08:24

I think the world would be a better place if more non-parents had opinions that were voiced about other people's children.

Soon sort out the "wee Jimmy has been shouted at!By his teacher! But he's my ickle biddy angelchild! How dare she?! I'm going dahn to sort 'er aht!" shite.

CaptainWentworth · 06/12/2011 08:24

Thankyou ruby Thanks

overmydeadbody · 06/12/2011 08:25

HE is home educating/home education

rubyrubyruby · 06/12/2011 08:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LaurieFairyCake · 06/12/2011 08:26

Foster carer.

Not weird for me. No hairy hands Grin

Original poster
Spermysextowel · 06/12/2011 08:30

Thank you ONDB.

Captain, if you've lurked & plucked I think it's too late to leave us now!

OP posts:
Trills · 06/12/2011 08:32

YABU

If you think MN is only of interest for people who want to talk about children then you are seeing a very different website to the one I am seeing.

Northernlurker · 06/12/2011 08:32

OP - I think it has been adequately explained to you that you are being a pillock but I would liekt o echo again the pov that you don't have to have given birth to be able to apply your acquired knowledge and common sense to a situation involving a child.

There are plenty of posters here who are struggling to become parents. Really quite hurtful for soebody to espouse the view they know nothing and shouldn't be here don't you think?

Trills · 06/12/2011 08:36

Mn is a fuckin weird place to be anyway, we have a fake pet bat, a zombie plan and a biscuit in a santa hat.

:o at giraffes

ThereIsNoSpoon · 06/12/2011 08:37

There are school kids on the site? That just makes me plain uncomfortable.

randommoment · 06/12/2011 08:40

Thanks prettycandles!

Trills · 06/12/2011 08:42

There could be anyone on the site ThereIsNoSpoon - you don't have to prove anything about yourself to join beyond "I have an email address". If it makes you uncomfortable you should remind yourself of basic internet safety rules - anyone could be anyone and you should behave as if they are.

rubyrubyruby · 06/12/2011 08:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BertieBotts · 06/12/2011 08:44

I think it's fine to give advice if your children are younger or you don't have children yet. It's just sharing ideas, the OP is free to think "Well that clearly wouldn't work!" and ignore.

I used to hate the fucking snobbishness on another site I used to post on where if you dared to give advice to someone with more children, older children or whatever they would go and bitch about you behind your back (who does she think she is, trying to give advice to me when she has no idea, etc). There was a regular who used to often give good ideas/advice, had no children, but often cared for her niece and nephew. The vitriol aimed at her was unbelievable.

Actually my advice now is pretty often the same as it was when DS was younger, because it comes from books and reading old threads on here and in other places. Of course I've changed my mind/had a reality check on some things. But I'd always welcome views and ideas from parents of younger children or people who aren't parents (yet or ever). Why not? Add another into the pot, it's all about finding out what works for you anyway.

HazleNutt · 06/12/2011 08:46

So I can't have an opinion about cats, feminism or style and beauty if I'm not a mother? Or is MN for parent-specific cat issues only?

Swipe left for the next trending thread