To be really irritated by the 'motherhood challenge'

[Kitkatmonster]

I'm sure you've seen it, it's taking over my news feed. I seem to be the only one who thinks this is a nonsense, and a bit worrying as the number of photos of Friends of Friends' children that I've seen this weekend is actually scary. Does no one lock their page down as private anymore?! Aibu in getting irritated and wondering how many women have shed a tear secretly over seeing this, the ones battling infertility, having accepted infertility, the ones right now miscarrying a longed for baby. It seems insensitive and crass, who needs to post photos to the fb world that make them happy to be a mother? What about the mum with PND who gets inadvertently tagged? Isn't something like this likely to make her feel pretty rubbish? Are we all just so selfish and desperate to show off our perfect families that we have to take a 'challenge' like this without any concern for the people among our friends who might be experiencing one of the above? Seriously, AIBU? Am I taking this too seriously and getting irritated by a bit of fun?! It's really fucking bothering me.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

"I make a point of never liking them" - Just the pics 80schild?

[AlisonWunderland]

I haven't seen a single one of my friends nominated.
Obviously I am only friends with other crap mums.
Pass me the gin

[Sillybillybonker]

I think people are taking Facebook far too seriously! If you don't like pictures of people's kids then Facebook is not a website for you.

[PurpleDaisies]

If you don't like pictures of people's kids then Facebook is not a website for you.

You've missed the point. It isn't pictures of people's children that's the issue-it's the exclusive mothers' club aspect that lots of people are finding unhelpful.

[Sillybillybonker]

I haven't missed the point at all. I read the Guardian article. You have to take Facebook with a pinch of salt and if you don't like it get onto another website that doesn't offend you. Facebook is full of shite isn't it?! Maybe pictures of my tea would offend a starving person.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

The article on the BBC website is worth a read.

It includes some interesting quotes

[3point14159265359]

I just came back to say this thread was on the bbc news page. Not to take away MrsTerryPratchett's and Olaf's achievements in being quoted by the BBC, but isn't there some, like, real news?

In any case, it's a nice reminder (again) that we're not just chatting amongst ourselves...

[Comingfoccacia]

I too am in the bullshit camp. Can't bear this kind of crap. However it is quite easy to ignore, hide and move on.

[Veritat]

I think what gets me about this is the fact that it is unlikely to celebrate the mothers who have the hardest challenges. Like the one whose daughter seems to be doing her best to starve herself to death, the one whose son broke her jaw when he had a meltdown, the one doing her utmost to keep her child away from drug pushers, the one being categorised by her council as having Munchhausen's for the crime of pushing for proper support for her child ...

[Highsteaks]

Oh.dear, it looks like the BBC have their irony radar firmly.switched to 'off' where they have quoted MrsTerryPratchett. Unless Mrs wasn't being ironic, in which case, ummm
never mind!

[Highsteaks]

The thing is, do grown adult women really need their status as 'mother' or indeed 'woman' validated by being tagged as a 'good mum' in some stupid 'Facebook Challenge'? I'm pretty sure most people don't get nominated because people think they are genuinely better at parenting than other people, its more because they are good friends, and also the nominator probably thinks they are likely to join in.

Do we think men would be waiting around, waiting to be tagged on Facebook as a 'good dad' to reassure them that they are doing a good job? Of course not!

I think people are massivley over thinking the whole.thing. Although I do agree that it is a steaming pile.of.self.indulgent guff.

[LovelyFriend]

DAILY MASH nails it again - sounds like they are MN'ers

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Wow, pretty poor standard of journalism from the BBC there I thought, especially where they missed the irony and wit from TP.
Makes me think we could do better - and indeed we do on a daily basis
What we write others can only copy!

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Daily Mash seems pretty disrespectful in it's tone to me.

Like every other thing humans might do is a contender for a sense of achievement but being a mother is reduced to "Look what just came out of my fanny" (because at least a raised eyebrow is called for!)

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Daily Mash seems pretty disrespectful in it's tone to me.

Umm.

That's sort of, like, THE POINT of the Daily Mash.

Have you ever seen it before?

[Highsteaks]

Wow, pretty poor standard of journalism from the BBC there I thought, especially where they missed the irony and wit from TP.

Yes I thought that as well, maybe they have got some Fail journos on board.

Like every other thing humans might do is a contender for a sense of achievement but being a mother is reduced to "Look what just came out of my fanny"

Yes agree with this as well - I'm really not a 'being a mama is the hardest job in the world but I love my bubs sooooo much' type, but I would say that motherhood is more than just pushing a creature out of your vag.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

OK Contessa, but humour is a funny thing isn't it? Sometimes it chimes with us, and someimes it doesn't.

I know that sometimes I love good observational humour but equally I also know that I have a pretty strong "that's going too far" thing for me personally.

I think I've clicked on a Daily Mash link once or twice before so I'm not that familiar with it, no. I have a feeling further familiarity will not necessarily make the heart grow fonder!

[Highsteaks]

Yes I thought that daily mash article was trying to make the point that women have been giving birth to and raising kids for thousands of years, and have never needed all this back patting before, which is true. But it just took it a bit too far. Meh, maybe my irony radar is now.switched off or.something.

[JEC8878]

ok really. Everybody know what facebook is about. People do post rubbish on it ( I don't want to know what people are having for their tea) But it is a public site and people are free to put on what they wish. why should people not share their memories and happy times spent with their children with others. there is always something on facebook that will upset somebody. If you don't want to read it or see posts about it then either come off facebook or block the feed. don't make other people feel bad for sharing opinions. And as for a comment previously made about people neglecting their children to be on facebook is bang out of order. You do have some time to do things like when children having dinner or afternoon sleep, just to presume that they are been neglected because they have posted something on facebook is ridiculous.

[Whathaveilost]

Daily mash seems disrespectful in its tone to me

Lol! You do know is a satire page don't you and ribs everyone and thing topical!

Daily Mash are probably not exclusively MNers. This topic has been covered on many social network forums as well as in the mainstream media.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

No, I think your radar is good Highsteaks but then I would say that as you kindly agreed with a couple of my comments

However ironic it thought it was trying to be I found it slightly misogynistic - or at least, as I said before, disrespectful.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

To each their own, Juggling - I thought it was very funny even though I do have kids of my own! Mind you I approach it from the other side; my biological mum was a shit mum (IMO) and I have much closer relationships with mother-figures who didn't 'push me out', as it were. So the whole 'I made this with my uterus, revere me' thing is ridiculous to me and I enjoy seeing it mocked.

I love the Daily Mash, it's fab