To wonder why people without children post here?

[SomeoneStoleMyUsername]

How would you even find the place? I'd imagine they googled something and stumbled upon a thread and stuck around. Am I right?

I do think that it is completely unreasonable to dismiss the opinions/advice on parenting and relationships from people who are childless/without partners. We are all human beings and sometimes we can know something or have an opinion on something despite never personally experiencing it. We all do this on many subjects everyday - eg parents who think that they know how to educate children better than trained, experienced teachers; patients who know how to treat themselves/others better than trained HCP. The thing is, sometimes, they actually do know better and can contribute some interesting ideas for the main reason of being removed from the situation.

I remember when I was a new Mum - I was struggling a lot with a demanding child who never slept, PND, DH was at a conference, and my childfree/unmarried Aunt came to stay. She seemed to instinctively know what to do, DD and her bonded brilliantly and immediately and, more importantly, she managed to get her to sleep and look after me. Not having been in my situation made no difference.

You can get some very odd advice from people who have got children!

And the swears. Lots of fucking swears. Fucking big juicy swears. With fucking great big knobs on. Feck.

Has anyone answered the question 'why do people without children post here?' with 'because they fucking can?'

"I don't mind them being here but I wish they wouldn't go parenting threads or comment on things they don't understand."

Oh that's brilliant
So my friend who is a childless maternity nurse just shouldn't bother commenting on anything to do with early days/weeks of having a baby, no? Or how to help with sleep training, or feeding or anything like that? Because obviously she knows fuck all about those things, seeing as how it's only her job, but she doesn't have any personal experience with her own.

FFS!

And to continue with that line of "logic" - the number of posters on here who have apparently zero ability to think outside of their own experience would be very damaging to some new parents! Many parents have very limited experience of babies/children (their own) but it doesn't stop them pronouncing on others' situations as if their own experience was the Only Correct Way. again.

Thebatteries - well they have now!

Funky

and you haven't even seen my beautiful cunting bunting!
I only bring it out on special occasions as it tends to get me deleted promptly.....

Being a parent only qualifies you to talk about your own children. And since I doubt you are ever asking questions about my children, I'm as qualified as anyone else, childfree or not, to answer about yours.

I am trying to get pregnant i come here for the support and advice.

I want to be a mum!

I would quite like to fit the criteria, I shall have a word with my uterus and tell it to work.

I actually stumbled here when looking for advice about ttc. So, it kind of counts?

And, grocklebox, having managed to procreate doesn't make you a good parent.

I dont have any children, I joined for the conception forum but actually I just enjoy the round up email and AIBUs.

In all honesty its a refreshing change to other forum sites and I like the frankness of the mners.

mrsruffallo Thu 06-Nov-14 17:02:50 YANBU I don't mind them being here but I wish they wouldn't go parenting threads or comment on things they don't understand. For example, there was a thread recently where OP was letting of steam about the amount of arguments her and DH were having since the birth of their first child. Cue posts from two particular posters telling her to LTB. On further enquiry, they were childless/partnerless(may have got that wrong) and didn't understand that immense pressure the first year brings. By parents for parents, i think is the motto, and I think parenting matters should be left to parents

I can't state strongly enough how fucking objectionable your whole post is.

It's not your site so you don't get to 'mind' or 'not mind'
It's not your site so you don't get to dictate where people post.
It's not your site so you don't get to dictate what people post.

and thankfully Justine doesn't agree with you about any of that. So if you don't like it....>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Parenting matters should be left to parents - right well, that'll do away with many childminders, nannies, nursery staff, teachers, counsellors, social workers, health care providers...

Zing please bring out the bunting, I know exactly where I'd like to wrap it :)

I feel betrayed. I was promised that I was being derided and undermined for being a mother up-thread, and when I scrolled up to have a look, there was absolutely no undermining of me going on! Humph.

Quite a bit of deriding going on, concerning the value of contributions from childless/childfree members, though.

Everything that Chipping said

Mrsruffalllo, you question why people who aren't parents would come to a parenting website. Well ok, maybe mumsnet started as a parenting website but it is far from that now.
How is parenting involved in tv programs, house keeping, pet owning, DIY, cooking, legal problems, gardening, craft.........?

And more to the point if it exclusively a parenting website then why is there are forum for INFERTILITY?
I came here 4 years ago to find support for ttcing. Without the support I got from here I wouldn't have known how and when I could access IVF or had the support I needed to go through it three times.
In 10 days time I will know if my final attempt has worked. If it fails I will never become a mother. However I intent to contine posting on here. As a primary school teacher I may even answer people's comments and questions on teaching and schools if that's ok with you.
One woman from the ttcing forums is a midwife, can she post about childbirth?

Some people are so narrow, they start something and immediately want to exclude rather than welcome.

vvvvvvvvv C v U v N v T vvvvvvvvv

freshly washed and pressed Chipping do as you please

I'm not a parent or TTC, I am massively broody however! I read the threads about kids, post on other stuff. I eventually realised I was getting obsessed and needed to raise the subject of babies with DP and since then we have got engaged, planned and wedding date and a starting TTC date.
I will admit that I originally found MN via the PenisBeaker thread bring shared on FB though
I hope my non-baby related opinions are OK on the living overseas, travel, 5:2 and AIBU boards - which is where I tend to post under another name.

I think that there's an ever increasing need for TwatsNet.

it'd be great, coz you could to tell some people exactly where to go

I don't have kids. I've been on here since pre 2000, on another continent. I found the site while googling for help for my DSis when DN was being bullied at school.

there are huge bits of the messageboards which have nothing
To do with children and all that goes with them. Am currently loving the Christmas and The Archers threads.

God I find the small opinions of the ruffalo person so so depressing. One rather gets the mental picture of someone wearing six pairs of knickers and a polyester petticoat whilst spending the day tutting at stuff. Depressing.

Once again, mothers being undermined and derided
So are child free people posting on MN undermining mothers in the same way that 'gay' marriage* undermines heterosexual marriage, because I don't understand how that works either.

• I prefer the term equal marriage rather than gay marriage but I wanted to make the point clear.

Personally, I find it offensive when people post on the Sporn threads if they've never actually experienced a huge follicle bollickle of their own.

I don't mind them being there, but i wish they wouldn't comment on things they don't understand.

It undermines the quality of their advice tbh, how can they possibly give their opinion when they don't know what it's like to burst a giant boil on their fanjo?

I think sporn matters should be left to spotty bastards.

rude

I would like to post an exploding head emoticon.

I've just posted on the ebay thread. It is extremely important that only people who are mothers and are for mothers respond. People who haven't given birth (vaginally, no pain relief, all according to birth plan) couldn't possibly understand about posting parcels abroad.