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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask the most bizzare 'facts' you have read on mums net

608 replies

Ashamedandblamed · 18/12/2017 20:43

Everyone obviously thinks what they are telling you is true but sometimes their sources or opinions are not factually correct.

What is the most ridiculous or bizzare fact/opinion you have seen ?

OP posts:
Pinkitis · 19/12/2017 07:08

That if you separate or get divorced, don't worry, kick him out and you can stay in the house till the children are 18.

SwanneeKazoo · 19/12/2017 07:08

That neighbours can make as much noise as they want up to the magic hour of 11pm, after which you can get the police round to sort them out.

Neither is true.

eurochick · 19/12/2017 07:08

Roomba has already mentioned it - the supposed free half hour that lawyers give. Er, no they don't. Not in my experience (been a lawyer for nearly 20 years). A few might choose to do it as a promotion but you are unlikely to get any meaningful advice in that time. It is certainly not the answer to any legal problem.

MorrisZapp · 19/12/2017 07:09

Well the Zowie Bowie thing has blown my mind! My entire life was a lie, it appears.

The muscle /fat thing isn't a lie though is it. Gold weighs the same as feathers if everything weighs the same. Obviously it's about volume and density. A pound of anything weighs the same as a pound of anything else, but they may take up vastly differing amounts of space.

nolongersurprised · 19/12/2017 07:13

That boys have a testosterone surge at 4 years, thus explaining tricky behaviour. They really don’t - it’s elevated at birth and then should be low until puberty. Otherwise there would be 4 year old boys with pubic hair and enlarged testicles.

I think it comes from the psychologist Steve Biddolph’s ‘Raising Boys’ book and is based on over interpretation of an LH rise.

treaclesoda · 19/12/2017 07:13

That 'the rules' in England apply throughout the other countries of the UK. This applies to everything from school inspection, to plastic bag charges, to social services, to child protection, to school starting age. Everything really. There is often an insistence that what applies in England applies throughout.

ladyballs · 19/12/2017 07:19

That people without children can never, ever be as tired as a parent, whatever the circumstances.

That the pain felt by a transwoman who has fathered children over their inability to carry a child is worse than a woman's because 'at least she has a womb'.

VioletDaze · 19/12/2017 07:19

Autogynephilia as a concept. It seems to basically only exist on MN, and doesn't appear in any psych manual I'm aware of, but it's taken as this comprehensive explanation here.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder also seems to be liberally given as a range diagnosis here as well. Basically, anyone who behaves badly seems to have it, and you can totally diagnose anyone you want based on a two paragraph post.

MN has some exciting ideas about mental illness and psychiatry in general.

LaContessaDiPlump · 19/12/2017 07:20

I often see threads where the op says 'I'm worred people will judge such and such negatively' and are, imo, correct. The number of posters who pile on and say no-one would think that, the entire world is kind and understanding, I find it odd that you'd even ask etc is baffling to me. It's like they live in a completely different world to the one I inhabit or else are totally oblivious to huge swathes of social interaction.

MaisyPops · 19/12/2017 07:22

Lots of advice on neighbours is barmy.
E.g. log every tiny bit of noise with the police whilst also selling your house to move even though disputes have to be declared when selling

Someone has a financial situation and needs advice = 'use your savings. Surely everyonr has 3 months worth of salary stashed as a just in case fund'

That anyone ranting about poor behaviour needs informing that thr child probably does have SEND (they may do, but equally badly behaved children to exists, just some people on MN like to pretend they don't)

Advice on attendance situations where people tell the OP to lie to school if school are monitoring attendance (because getting caught lying won't elevate school's concerns).

Lots of advice on how to raise a concern with school, if acted on by OPs, wouldn't get the desired outcome and would just make them look nuts. Child got a lunch detention for JUST talking = was probably kept isolated, breaking their human rights, was probably refused any food, teachers are just bullies OP, call the head and demand that teacher is disciplined and if thr head doesn't take you seriously then write a letter to thr governors and call Osfted because clearly they are failing children. Oh and if anyone suggests calling the teacher for a chat then they must love defending teachers and think parents should be submissive to teachers.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 19/12/2017 07:26

That you must have 23 cat litter trays in your house per cat plus another 7 for luck.

That if you don't have pet insurance and can't afford the £27m bill for bionic legs for Tiddles you are completely irresponsible and should never get another pet.

Sparklingbrook · 19/12/2017 07:30

Only paying for what you consumed in a restaurant when out in a group is tight fisted.

LordSugarWillSeeYouNow · 19/12/2017 07:32

That a poster has name changed as their situation is "so outing" when indeed it could apply to half a million of us...

Example- op-
I've NC as very outing, mil is being a bitch. Blah blah blah.

-rest of MN-
Omg that must be Sue from next door

StealthPolarBear · 19/12/2017 07:32

That 'they' can't sack you if you're genuinely ill.

Sparklingbrook · 19/12/2017 07:33

If you don't like swinging and/or threesomes you are a 'mundane'.

Littlecaf · 19/12/2017 07:34

To call 101 and log it.

Apparently everything can be solved by doing this.

Similarly ‘report to the Council’.

BarbaraofSevillle · 19/12/2017 07:37

Given the amount of crap posted on here (and there is a lot of 'facts' that are simply untrue, as this thread attests) I am baffled as to why people continue to ask questions about factual information on here.

Why wouldn't you google and look up the official source of information if you need the number for the tax credits helpline or details of luggag restrictions when you fly on your (unspecified) airline from your (unspecified) airport.

StealthPolarBear · 19/12/2017 07:37

Morris it's the fact they counter people saying "muscle weighs more than fat" (which may or may not be true) with "a pound of muscle weighs the same as ac pound of fat" which is intrinsically true but does nothing to actually answer th e question.
By that logic I weigh the same as a newborn baby.

Creambun2 · 19/12/2017 07:39

That if you have any financial problems they are instantly solved by "taking in some ironing"

LoniceraJaponica · 19/12/2017 07:40

“I loathe to read about anyones "multiple oxbridge degrees"”

Or anyone with multiple children who all went to Oxbridge

“That once your child hits 18 you should refuse to help them in any way. They need independence and this only comes by parents withdrawing practical, emotional and financial support.”

This ^^. Just because your child is a stable, emotionally mature 18 year old doing 4+ A levels, volunteers all over the place and has a part time job doesn’t mean that all other 18 year olds are the same.

“That nobody answers the doorbell. Everyone just ignores it because it is rude and invasive to ring a doorbell.”

Or the phone. Everyone I know answers both.

School uniform is expensive. It wasn’t in our case. The only things I had to buy from school were the blazers £30, PE top £15 and tie £8. Shirts, skirts, trousers, PE shorts, PE socks and trainers were bought anywhere. DD got through 3 blazers, 2 PE tops and 1 tie all through the 5 years up to GCSE. I don't call that expensive. It was cheaper than buying TopShop jeans, for example – which is what DD wears to 6th form.

BarbaraofSevillle · 19/12/2017 07:41

That there are no jobs, cultural activites, city parks, diversity, anything worth having/doing at all really in the UK outside London.

underneaththeash · 19/12/2017 07:41

I'm always amazed that people comment on things they know next-to-nothing about, especially when its medical.

The gems I've seen in the past couple of weeks are plaster dust causing conjuncitivis and a few people on advised a poor poster that their DH's symptoms may be caused by Optic Neuritis, when the symptoms were nothing like those you experience with ON.

LoniceraJaponica · 19/12/2017 07:45

"That there are no jobs, cultural activites, city parks, diversity, anything worth having/doing at all really in the UK outside London."

This ^^ with bells on

London is our capital city so it will have a larger choice and more variety, but it doesn't mean that the rest of the UK is a cultural desert Hmm

Chimera246 · 19/12/2017 07:45

Life changing one, just a few months ago. Those wispy leggy non-spiders that seem to crop up in corners if you haven't swept them for a week KILL AND EAT BIG ONES.

That one is actually true though?! 🕷

Greenteandchives · 19/12/2017 07:46

That your partner's parents, without fail, are toxic individuals. Your parents, however, are fine.