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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

to ask what's the worst/silliest advice you've seen on here?

708 replies

Francoitalialan · 23/10/2015 12:36

MN is such a tremendous source of info but sometimes it goes wonky. What's the worst/silliest advice you've seen?

OP posts:
Lweji · 24/10/2015 20:25

Everyone jumped on her telling her she shouldn't have gotten pregnant if she knew her cats were like this

Yeah, because cats get soooo attached to their owners...

Anotheronebitthedust · 24/10/2015 20:36

exactly brokenhearted55a. the other shit advice that also usually ties in with that is 'Young people don't NEED all these fancy electronic gadgets, if they stopped buying them they could easily save a deposit.' Firstly, people do often need them, for many people in fairly temporary rented accommodation with minimal belongings such things are their main/only form of entertainment/communication, and are often necessary for work or education. Secondly, this would only make any financial difference if you bought a £300 iphone/ipad/playstation every single month, not one that then lasts 3 yrs.

And a personal example of unhelpful MN advice...washing with conditioner first then shampoo. Promised beautiful shiny hair, ended up with a knotty mess. So disappointed!

Mrsfrumble · 24/10/2015 21:42

"When taking long car journeys with a recently potty trained child, take a travel potty and pull over on the hard shoulder of the busy motorway so they can wee."

Or not risk everyone's lives and stick them in a pull-up instead. It won't cause then to regress, honestly.

Gileswithachainsaw · 24/10/2015 22:18

Someone started a thread once about if the house was on fire would you rescue a person or your dog

most of us were told we were heartless murderers fir saying we'd save our pets .

so faithful pets should die and save the arsonist

silvermantela · 24/10/2015 22:38

Giles I remember that thread. There was no mention of an arsonist. The question was would you save a stranger or an animal in an emergency situation. You must have been one of those irritating posters who resorted to inventing unnecessary backstory to justify your decision.

It was a hypothetical situation. Just answer the question put to you and have the courage of your convictions, ffs.

Also, not to be pedantic, but that was a general discussion, I don't see how it comes under advice?

Devora · 24/10/2015 23:13

Ha, I remember that thread too - lots of people saying they would save their pet before unrelated people because the pet is 'family'. I was Shock. But then I think of the MN animal-lovers like many think about the MN feminists - they absolutely terrify me with their hot-eyed zealotry.

Scremersford · 24/10/2015 23:20

AnotherOne And a personal example of unhelpful MN advice...washing with conditioner first then shampoo. Promised beautiful shiny hair, ended up with a knotty mess. So disappointed!*

That one works for me! I didn't get it off mumsnet, but at any rate, I finish off with conditioner afterwards (again) and my hairs' less dry.

ComposHatComesBack · 24/10/2015 23:28

I can't sleep for worrying about dog. I'M CRYING NOW.

This is inaccurate. Emotionally overwrought mumsnetters don't merely cry. They SOB.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 24/10/2015 23:30

Fiar enough Lilyb - just going off what our B/PS piano tuner told me!

Senpai · 25/10/2015 00:10

Ha, I remember that thread too - lots of people saying they would save their pet before unrelated people because the pet is 'family'.

They're talking out their ass. I have yet to find a single news story where a person who could reasonably save a human refused to so they could save their pet. Instinct would take over, unless they're a complete sociopath. The hardest thing to train any soldier is how to kill, it takes a fair bit of effort. I doubt a lay person could actually ignore the instinct to allow a human to die screaming in a fire.

But you know there's also tons of gun ninjas on the internet who are invincible since they have a gun and if someone broke in they're just shoot them and the day would be saved. Statistics don't back that up either.

Grin Any form of blatant disregard for human life is all big talk on the internet.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/10/2015 00:35

Parent is half an hour late fir Brownie pick up, call SS! Unless your dp does 50 of tge chores and cooking, despite you being a STAHP, and ge working, LtB! It's awful you both have separate accounts, it's nit normal, everything should be pooled. Op DC dies nit want to invite the child that has been making their lives miserable at school, cue can't you invite them and you keep and eye on them or have a friend on school bully watch at the party Hmm, it's not fair to leave them out, they could have SN!

Booyaka · 25/10/2015 01:08

Aeroflot thank God it wasn't just me who thought that Brownie advice was ridiculous. I got a right flaming for saying it was.

brokenhearted55a · 25/10/2015 01:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/10/2015 01:30

IT was very far fetched booyka Grin, it warranted a word with brown owl and BO giving entitled mum a bolloking erm chat. It's op has said, I witnessed a parent shouting at chikd in a shop, everyone pile in with call SS. Yes we're all perfect and have perfect children. Of course if you witnessed violence towards a child you would, but a frazzled parent raising her voice, really?

I posted a while back about an 18 month 2 year old in a children's farm playground with no caregiver near, so I called for help whilst my dd career watched the chikd. Some criticised me, and said the parent could probably see the child, whilst helping her other child with the climbing wall a distance away. Yes in real life you woukd really leave a lone young child on their own and not try and get help, just in case their parents might be near Hmm.

Senpai · 25/10/2015 01:44

There's also the posters who love to take anything as a personal insult.

"Well, I was 30 minutes late to pick up my child once because I was at the hospital with my dying mother, then got in a car accident after driving home from a charity, and my phone died because my battery died because my autistic son unplugged it the night before. But I guess it's ok to call SS on struggling people who have dying parents and SN children to take care of you insensitive bastard!"

sashh · 25/10/2015 02:05

kungfupannda

A walk? Clearly your dh should have booked you a spa day, LTB.

Worst advice is in response to people who have realised they have a drink problem. STOP DRINKING NOW!!!!

Actually following that advice could kill someone.

BadLad · 25/10/2015 02:49

Poster: I accidentally damaged someone's car in a car park.

Replies: don't worry, it was an accident so they can't make you pay, and anyway, they should expect to have runaway trolleys bashing into their car if they park at supermarkets.

CheerfulYank · 25/10/2015 03:16

I remember the "just give the tenant the house" thread too :o Also the one where an eight months pregnant woman was told she should clamber up a ladder after a cat.

I love the conflicting advice.

Op: Should I leave my ten year old home alone for fifteen minutes?

Poster: No, I wouldn't, you never know what could happen, my child never left my sight until the day she went to university.

Another poster: Of course you should, how else will they learn, mine have been left alone on a regular basis since they were three and I expected them to have done a load of laundry by the time I got back.

OP: my daughter loves dressing up in princess dresses and doing her nails in sparkly pink polish.

Posters: That's terrible, this isn't the 1950s.

OP: My son loves dressing up in princess dresses and doing his nails with sparkly pink polish.

Posters: How lovely.

Poster: You shouldn't get a dog unless it will never come in contact with anyone under the age of 26, will never be alone for a minute, has access to at least a fenced acre of land, and will be fed a raw diet of wild caught yak liver.

Same Poster: I wonder why the shelters are so full. I despair.

OP: I'm really concerned about the diet of some children I know. They are very overweight and eat ice cream and McDonald's for every meal, their mother tells me they have never eaten a vegetable and she puts Coke in the baby's bottle every night.

Poster: You sound like a complete snob. Have a word with yourself.

OP: I was tired today and used jarred sauce on the children's pasta.

Poster: Why didn't you just pick some tomatoes and simmer them with a handful of herbs from the pots you surely keep on your windowsill? You know, feed them real food.

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 25/10/2015 07:02

Anything benefit related. You have to actually know the benefits rules if your going to advise- you cant just take a guess.
Also applies to benefit fraud threads. If you dont know the conditions of entitlement- your not going to "know" if someones recieving it fraudulently!
There was a recentish thread where the "benefit fraudster" just had a decent relationship with her ex and recieved a fair amount in child support in addition to her benefits- the bitch!. Pages and pages of people saying to report on the basis that she just seemed too well off. Child maintenance is not taken into account!!!

pictish · 25/10/2015 07:51

OP: my daughter loves dressing up in princess dresses and doing her nails in sparkly pink polish.

Posters: That's terrible, this isn't the 1950s.

OP: My son loves dressing up in princess dresses and doing his nails with sparkly pink polish.

Posters: How lovely.

Grin

Mumsnet is preposterous at times.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/10/2015 08:15

Any discussion of benefits or obesity etc us met with "get the popcorn out" "right got my chocolate and Coke ready", Hmm face. If certain posters are the gate keeper of what can be discussed on here.

MrsJayy · 25/10/2015 08:32

By all accounts toddler boys of some mumsnetters are wafting about with fairy wings and tutus while they girls are wearing brown cords and their brothers hand me down school sweater all this girl/boy nonsense drives me nuts

Aeroflotgirl · 25/10/2015 08:52

I know MrsJ, it should not matter what a child likes, so what if a girl loves candy pink and glitter, and boys like scull and crossbones t shirts, what's this gender fluid nonesence. Silly modern term for boys liking girls clothes and vice versa. In my day I was a Tomboy.

pictish · 25/10/2015 08:54

Me too. We all agree that kids can do their thing, whatever that is. The way it's taken to the nth degree on here rankles.