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

[Francoitalialan]

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

Yorkshapud - YES!!!
NPD and sociopaths, apparently everywhere. Not just self centred idiots.

OP: I am thinking of getting a dog.

Poster 1: Is someone at home 24/7 to watch it every minute of the day?

OP: I work half day, 3 days a week.

Poster 2: You do realize that if you have a dog it must have company all day otherwise it will become depressed.

OP: I will be home at 1pm so it will only be alone (outside in a safe garden with a dry kennel if its rains) from 9am-1pm each day.

Poster 3: If you get a dog I will report you to the RSPCA for neglect. Do not get a dog if you are not prepared to care for it properly.

OP: So, you are saying that because I will not be at home every single minute of the day, I shouldn't get a pet for my children that I feel would be good for them.

Poster 4: Yes. Don't be so selfish.

Mintyy I think it is wrong and dangerous that suicidal posters are encouraged to post on Mumsnet and rely on support from people here. I wish HQ would sort this out.

MNHQ comment on those threads (and encourage reporting), giving the Samaritans phone number and encoraging the OP to seek real-life help.

Given the dire state of MH services in the UK, there may well be no RL support out there.

From the POV of a suicidal poster I have found MN more helpful than the dismissive attitude from an overstratched service, and even speaking to the Samaritans is not the same as someone who has been there an experienced it themsleves and is allowed to tell you that.

Zeezeek. I think there are just a lot of people on that board who have had crap experiences in their relationships and I think they often project onto others. I think hanging around there can actually make you a bit paranoid!

Thanks Milk I have had good advice on mn, so if that is what you think I should do, well, ok then.

" Join the PTA ;)"

In fact if you don't join the PTA, you are a pathetic woman-child who has no right to make any comment whatsover about your child's school.

Thanks squoosh that sounds... err a bit horrific, I am off to phone 101 for advice

OP: Somebody has parked their car inconsiderately

MN: This is UNACCEPTABLE!! Call the POLICE!!

OP: There is a man at the park and he doesn't have a child with him, I'm suspicious.

MN: Call the POLICE!! Call SOCIAL SERVICES!!! Do it NOW!!!

OP: I can hear my next door neighbour screaming and swearing at her child through the wall. It also sounds like she's throwing things, the child is sobbing and sounds very distressed. This has been happening more and more lately and I'm really concerned.

MN: It sounds like your neighbour needs a friend, bake her a cake and invite her round for a nice girly chat.

bumbleymummy - you said what I meant to say but in a much more eloquent way!

The other thing that irritates the hell out of me is that men and women being friends is frowned on by so many people and obviously there are heading for an affair.

OP: We're up to our eyeballs in debt, I work hours that fit in with school times and then help my DH's business by doing admin in the evenings.

Answer: you're a lazy slacker, get a proper well-paid full time job.

Yorksha, it depends where the inconsiderate parking is - I got told to bring the guy who parked his caravan at the end of our lane one night a bacon sandwich and have a chat with him about his travels. yeah, that was probably the strangest.

"The other thing that irritates the hell out of me is that men and women being friends is frowned on by so many people and obviously there are heading for an affair"

Yes to this!

yy zeek

the phrase was "light monitoring"

There is the reverse

"My OH and some other woman from his work work go out alone increasingly frequently and they text each other with sexual content. Should I be worried?"

Can't men and women be friends?
Stop being so controlling.
A little flirting is ok.

Sure...

One of my favourite 'helpful' threads from years ago, was in style and beauty. The poster was lamenting weight gain after a few DC and wanted some fashion advice to cheer her up and help her look her best, as she was starting a new job.

Someone came along and suggested a new handbag.

Just seen a humdinger.

'One of the parents at the Brownies I volunteer at is often late and once was 30 minutes late and is rude'.

'Ring social services'

Quite a lot of the 'trust your maternal instincts' type advice.

Sometimes it's valid, but all to often it seems to be trotted out in response to questions that make it entirely clear that the maternal instincts in question are about as far from trustworthy as it's possible to get.

My maternal instincts were so well-developed when DS1 was a couple of hours old that I was surprised and indignant that the midwives did not support my plan to go for a nice walk outside while DS1 slept in his hospital bassinet back in the room. In my defence, I'd just had an unexpectedly fast delivery and was in the postnatal 'holy fuck, what just happened?' state. Although I'm not sure what DP's defence was - he was planning to join me on the walk

Ah Booyaka you just beat me to it!!! Ffs call social services

I have never worked out what is deemed acceptable advice or responses to give to skint people.

Any ideas?

On the Jamie Oliver/sugar tax thread this week - discussing how low income may be a direct link to obesity and poor eating habits one poster suggested that it was easy to live of £2 a day

"...Especially if you have a Poly tunnel, forage and have a pressure cooker..."

polytunnel

Yy to the number of people who have NPD.

I was once threatened with reporting to the RSPA as I asked an (admittedly dopey) Qu about defrosting fish food.

There is a good bus driving one atm where people are quoting the Human Rights Act about getting off in traffic.

Yy to spa day and cleaner. If only!

I have never worked out what is deemed acceptable advice or responses to give to skint people.

Drink squash. It's the answer to every financial worry, according to a certain poster.

OP 'I make a weekly shopping list so we can budget'

Advice 'you sound controlling....you need help!'

I think I will keep the Relationships topic hidden then. I do not have the right qualifications to help people with their relationship problems.
Plus should I had any of my own I would not be wanting to share them with random internet strangers.

I'm constantly amazed how many psycic/spiritualist threads there are on mumsnet and how many credulous responses there are to those claiming psycic experiences.