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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to delete facebook 'friend' for child posts rant?

63 replies

thefourgp · 27/05/2015 21:04

A guy who is a friend on facebook (more a friend of a friend in real life) has posted a rant about a number of things but primarily that he's sick of others posting about their kids. Saying he 'doesn't give a toss if your kid just got their first tooth'. I post about my children occasionally and find this rant offensive. He regularly posts about things I have no interest in but I would never trivialise what's important to him. I also know it's not a personal attack and he's probably having a crappy day and letting off steam in the wrong direction. Do I delete and block him possibly causing a bit of awkwardness next time we meet (which is few and far between) or just ignore his stupid rant?

OP posts:
AlternativeTentacles · 27/05/2015 21:05

Just use your noddle. Is it worth staying friends with him on a social media network? If yes then keep. If no then delete and block.

Lesausage · 27/05/2015 21:06

I've deleted people for these type of "rants", the woman in question was an old school friend and received a lot of messages saying they found her offensive.

Fast forward a few years and guess what..... Tons of posts about her ds Hmm

grumpasaur · 27/05/2015 21:07

I don't know him. But I tend to agree! I have soooo many people hidden on Facebook who I love in person but find unbearable online due to their incessant posts about their kids. The reality is that your kids are boring to everyone but you. Really.

TheFirstOfHerName · 27/05/2015 21:07

I certainly wouldn't be making any of my future posts visible to him. Do you keep your friends in lists? You could make a special list for him called "ranty people" then make all future posts visible to except

ItsTricky · 27/05/2015 21:08

Put him on restricted so he can't see your non-public updates but you can keep an eye on his Wink

usualsuspect333 · 27/05/2015 21:09

Just delete him or hide him. Why have annoying people on your FB when it's easy to get rid.

CommonplaceMagic · 27/05/2015 21:09

You don't need to block him if it would be awkward. Just hide him from your news feed or put him on your restricted list.

KenAdams · 27/05/2015 21:11

I love seeing pictures of my friends kids and how they're doing in school etc. I don't find it boring at all.

SaucyJack · 27/05/2015 21:11

Just ignore it if you don't think it's anything about you.

Lots of people do over share about their kids, and they are fucking deluded irritants.

I'd be laughing meself.

Goldenbear · 27/05/2015 21:14

I actually am interested in seeing photos of my friend's dc on FB and reading about them- I don't think I'm unusual.

I would block him.

blackrabbitwhiterabbit · 27/05/2015 21:16

T'is true.....the people who bang on about their amazing kids on fb day after day are the most annoying of ALL culprits on fb....YAWWWWWN

MargoReadbetter · 27/05/2015 21:16

If you post about your kids only occasionally, his rant probably didn't mean you. Maybd he had a bad day or some other reason. If you don't know each other well, hide/unfollow. He'll never know.

7amWakeUp · 27/05/2015 21:19

You hardly ever see him and aren't really his friend

Just delete him and forget all about it, you are not important to each other

youreawillja · 27/05/2015 21:19

Comment back... "Rants are boring"... then sit back with Wine and Cake and watch the fireworks Grin

Then when you're bored delete him! Do you need his validation to exist?No.

FiftyShadesOfGreen4205 · 27/05/2015 21:20

One of my former colleagues has posted over 200 pics of her newborn in the month since he was born. I think that is probably the kind of person he means. I would always indulge this kind of thing but this particular woman is way over the top imo. The child is asleep in nearly every pic FGS.

Anyway, he should hide or delete people who annoy him rather than issue a passive aggressive rant.

AlpacaLypse · 27/05/2015 21:21

I never talk about my children on FB except in the most general terms, it's a privacy thing. Thankfully most of my friends are the same, one did put up a photo of a spoof certicate that had been handed out at Year 11 Leaver's Assembly to her son saying 'Person most likely to become Prime Minister - xxx yyy - as he could talk the hind legs off a donkey.' But that was funny, not braggy. And, knowing the child, very, very true...

Graceymac · 27/05/2015 21:22

I hate Facebook! I deleted my account several years ago when I saw people unfriending each other because one annoyed the other. It can become quite childish. If you don't like him or his comments get rid of him.

PurpleDaisies · 27/05/2015 21:26

I do have some sympathy with his position-I have a friend who posts about what their kid is doing approximately three times every day. There are not enough interesting anecdotes to sustain this level of posting and yet she goes on...and on and on. Recent updates have included a well done to the child (who can't even read yet) for doing a big poo on the potty. I hid their posts. The rant is ott and I definitely wouldn't have done it but not everyone is interested in other people's children and some people really go over the top with updates.

PicaK · 27/05/2015 21:27

Is he a nice guy generally?
I'd just write something like "having a bad day mate?!"
Diffuse with humour.

itsatrap · 27/05/2015 21:28

I deleted a friend of a friend for something similar, it was a picture of sloth from the goonies with the caption "what I see when you post pictures of you children" don't think it was aimed at me as I don't tend to post pics of dc's but I didn't think it was very pleasant so got rid!

CindeFuckinRella · 27/05/2015 21:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Goldenbear · 27/05/2015 21:33

I find it frustrating when my friends don't mention their children as I want to see the changes - how they're growing etc but we're talking young children, I don't have any FB friends with YR11 children. If a friend posted 200 photos of their child I would find it tedious but I'm lucky if my friend's post 2 every 4 months. Prior to having children I found it dull to look at or read about a friend's child. Most of FB posts are dull, I have one friend that is in an indie band from the past and his posts are the most interesting as they're written on tour.

toomuchtooold · 27/05/2015 21:39

Oh god, one more aspect of parenthood that has to be policed for the benefit of childless men. I would like to point out to these guys that the reason they are getting spammed with each and every one of my pictures of my kids (which, not that it should matter, I put up on FB because we live far from friends and family and it's an easy way to keep in touch) is that the FB algorithm is counting me as a great friend of theirs, probably because not that many people talk to them on Facebook, as in life.

Unfollow him and stick him on your restricted list. Then you'll never hear anything of each other but he won't see you've unfriended him. Plus you can laugh at him when he has kids and starts posting about them the whole time.

RonaldMcDonald · 27/05/2015 21:54

I am aware of people being fed up with Facebook but I am always surprised how much it upsets
Just tell him how you feel

Mousefinkle · 27/05/2015 21:59

Well he just sounds like a twat. If he doesn't want to hear about other people's children he can unfriend or hide them easily enough, he's just a big old drama queen wanting some attention. Just unfriend the fucker.