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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's not weird to post here if you don't have children

53 replies

ShutUpShouty · 30/05/2014 09:56

or planning on having children in the near future?

I know there are lots of people who post here who don't have children (myself included) but I've noticed that whenever someone brings up in a thread that they don't have children someone will jump in to ask "why are you here then?" There have even been a couple of threads wondering why people who don't have children are here.

I know the site is called MUMSnet but I don't think it's weird that people with kids are here. After all you don't have to be a parent to talk about style and beauty, pets, health, weight loss, cooking and recipes and all the other numerous topics that can be talked about here that have nothing to do with children or parenting.

So am I the weird one I wonder...?Confused

OP posts:
Floisme · 30/05/2014 11:28

Not unreasonable at all. Come to Style and Beauty - we never talk about children!

VenusDeWillendorf · 30/05/2014 11:28

X post slithytoves. Sorry for your loss. Flowers and sorry about that unbelievably rude poster.

ballsballsballs · 30/05/2014 11:30

YANBU at all. I'm also a bit Hmm at the inevitable question 'is she childless?' when someone is behaving badly.

I'm sorry you went through that slithytoves Flowers

Thumbwitch · 30/05/2014 11:31

Oh Slithy I missed your previous post, so very sorry that you had such shocking treatment! :( Thanks

AnyFucker · 30/05/2014 11:32

I rarely talk about my kids anyway, and tend to be bored stiff when people talk about theirs Wink

summeraupair · 30/05/2014 11:33

YANBU: I came here for information when I was an aupair and got hooked. Mostly lurked but ended up getting a lot of good advice about non-childcare issues. Now I'm planning ttc myself and it was the first place I thought to come.

AnyFucker · 30/05/2014 11:33

Slithy, how horrible for you x

shakethetree · 30/05/2014 11:37

Most people ( I would have thought ? ) come onto MN because they are Mum & they're looking for advice on parenting issues. Why else would you come here really? - admittedly, once you become a member you end up talking about issues that have nothing to do with your children, but initially it's being a Mum that brings most people here surely?

Not that there's anything wrong with being on here if you're not a Mum, but I'd wonder what the attraction was if you weren't.

ballsballsballs · 30/05/2014 11:42

shake I'm on another site and someone linked to a disabled parking bay thread in AIBU. There was a forthright exchange of views. And I was hooked. :)

slithytove · 30/05/2014 11:54

Thanks thank you kind mumsnetters

You are right, it's just a crappy question/thing to say when you disagree with someone's viewpoint

slithytove · 30/05/2014 11:55

Yea. I came here cos of penis beaker and haven't managed to escape yet .Grin Aibu has me hooked

cantbelievemyeyes · 30/05/2014 11:57

Not weird- I don't have children though am trying. I came across Mumsnet when googling some stuff about TTC, though I never look at that section now. I mainly hang out in AIBU and know of people who've ended up here after seeing various AIBU threads shared on FB and the likes of Penis Beaker doing the rounds. Kids or no kids, some of the stuff in here is pure gold.

MeerkatTargaryen · 30/05/2014 12:48

I used to post on another baby based website before they changed it and everyone hated it and left. I have fertility issues and as of the last 10 years am still childless. I came here as I'd heard about aibu and got hooked. I havent posted on the infertility boards as I just can't fucking be bothered lol.

I had a bit off time off ttc while I did my nursing training and starting up again now. I'm happy in my own little blissful ignorance. I don't want the whole 'im on cd20 and had a twinge, couldi be pg' bollocks again. No offense anyone who's ttc or infertile but my bitter old ovaries are a little jaded lol.

SuperFlyHigh · 30/05/2014 12:56

I got forwarded here re PPI claim (excellent thread by the way, very long!) from Google - not to say I wouldn't have come here!

Then I got hooked on Style and Beauty, then Dating Thread, then Relationships.

If anyone's sad enough to criticise or judge others who aren't mothers for posting here then they must have little else going on in there lives!

ChubbyKitty · 30/05/2014 13:28

I first came here when we started planning to have a baby. Then a couple of months later a horrible accident killed my mum and grandad and the support I got on bereavement was unimaginable. I was a bit frightened to post at first because I thought because of the nature of the accident and how it was all over the news people would think I was making it up but thankfully not one person posted anything like that. And I was pleased that no one started any other threads about it on the news topics, unlike where it was all over Facebook and Twitter like a circus. I honestly don't think I would have coped half as well if it wasn't for some absolute gems of people on MN.

Slithy that is awful. How could anyone say such a horrible thing? I'm sorry for your loss and sorry someone was vile enough to even think that SadThanks

I also dislike the question of "is she childless?" If someone is being a prick. Or "are you quite young?" - because I'm 22 and as yet childless and I don't think age or parental status play a part in being a knob. I'm not a knob.

TiggyD · 30/05/2014 13:47

If you needed children to be on Mumsnet you wouldn't have me here. Can you imagine a world without me? Can you? Seriously? You'd last a week at most without a little Tiggy in your life.

LancashireTea · 30/05/2014 14:08

I'm not a mum yet, and have only been a member for a short while, but I joined because of the TTC threads and the AIBU board is full of completely hilarious gems.

Plus I know that if I need advice, support or a place to vent my frustration then I'm in a welcoming and generally well mannered place. And it saves my OH's ears from stupid questions and ranting!

I do think some folk need to relax and realise that other folk have other opinions and lifestyles and deal with it, parents or not! Smile

MewlingQuim · 30/05/2014 14:14

I hate it when people seem to think that someone without children cant have a valid opinion on anything to do with children.

TiggyD · 30/05/2014 14:19

Yes Mewling.
A childless woman posting in the camping section would have a totally different opinion on the type of pegs to use on stony ground, compared to a woman with twins. Hmm (Sarcasm)

Osirus · 30/05/2014 14:25

I don't have children (though am trying) and came across this site whilst googling for tips on dealing with difficult lodgers! I found a few useful threads and then had a browse through the rest of the site. It can be great entertainment. I rarely read threads relating to children.

Osirus · 30/05/2014 14:28

I also followed a link from a horse related forum to a thread in classics! Brilliant!

sauvignonblacks · 30/05/2014 14:33

Yanbu- I find "Some other websites" pretty boring in comparison because they don't have the variety of chat, experience or topics covered
come one come all I say!

Petal02 · 30/05/2014 14:49

I don't have children (but I am a PT step mum), but I like to post about pets, style & beauty, health, relationships etc etc. Surely all opinions are valid, and make this site more interesting?

HillyHolbrook · 30/05/2014 14:52

YANBU. I found Mumsnet by googling unrelated things and joined after Penis Beaker-gate when it was mocked in The Huffington Post as I fancied the laughGrin

I wasn't TTC then, I knew I wanted kids but not when, and I haven't felt like I've missed out or felt excluded by not having any. Now I am pg I have support here and lots of advice available, but it's not like I've been upgraded to a gold membership by having a child instead of being childless.

I only really read DC related threads when they look like they'll be funny or like the OP may need a hand holding, anyway.

I'm not that interested in other peoples children past a certain point, and if Mumsnet was literally just a mass baby book to brag about your PFBs milestones I wouldn't enjoy itGrin

Saying people without kids can't join is like saying you can't be friends with people who don't have a baby. Though I do actually know people like thatHmm

Petal02 · 30/05/2014 14:54

I would never have convinced my cat to try her new micro-chip cat flap, if it hadn't been for the advice I received from the lovely posters on "The Litter Tray"!