AIBU to think there is often really terrible advice on here?

[Ahmadame]

I mean, people suggest completely random shit and then get quite indignant if an OP says they won’t be taking it.

I don’t know if it’s just me but I regularly see weird suggestions on here, or suggestions that are clearly unworkable (like ‘home school your kids’) and I sometimes don’t know if they are serious or not.

What’s the worst bit of MN advice you’ve seen?

There was one where someone’s daughter of about 9 was upset that her friends were better off than her and it seemed almost unanimous that the family should move to a cheaper area and move schools because of it.

Also the suspicion of men is crazy at times. A man has always done something for the worst possible reason and nothing is ever an innocent mistake.

A man has always done something for the worst possible reason and nothing is ever an innocent mistake.
This is true, though. And not in a “magick is real” way.

@hotmeatymilk

A man has always done something for the worst possible reason and nothing is ever an innocent mistake. This is true, though. And not in a “magick is real” way.

I presume it’s my thread you are referring to?

Yes, of course. And as I said there, don't allow yourself to continue to act outside of your best interests for fear of receiving the latest insult du jour. Especially from that person, although to be fair, you should dismiss that kind of crap wherever it comes from.

Someone was told to leave their husband the other day because he went to the shops but forgot the melon and the strawberries. Classic Mumsnet

The most irritating for me is people saying that employers are not allowed to give a bad reference - utter bollocks, yes they can. References have to be justified, but you can give a bad reference if it's justified. Jobs don't have to be advertised externally either, which is another one that crops up a lot.

The legal advice - you get a poster who doesn't want to pay a solicitor, and cherry picks the posts that agree with their (faulty) interpretation. That can't be fun further down the line.

I agree with "show them this thread". Has that ever been good advice? Did that ever work out for anybody?
Also, "you should just move". What?

@cherrypie66

Someone was told to leave their husband the other day because he went to the shops but forgot the melon and the strawberries. Classic Mumsnet

I don't think you can have read that thread at all.

The ones that entertain precious parenting kills me. "Call the head first thing and demand a meeting or "insist to speak to the chair of Gov" because little Edith didn't get a sticker or bla bla bla. No, how about tell Edith that she'll get a sticker next time and leave the school to get on with teaching.

Does anyone have a link to the melons and strawberries thread? My first thought was that there must be a context because even by MN standards that's a bit extreme...

I was told to leave my partner because he asked me to iron a duvet cover, the same poster said this was a sure sign I was in a joyless and controlling relationship 🤣 poster then discovered that I’m a man and decided that I should do all the ironing, because I clearly don’t do anything else (despite being a single parent!) and he was clearly only asking me because I must be lazy.

On a thread about type one diabetes a poster (more than once) advising to give someone with low blood sugar insulin, I mean, I’m not sure ending up in prison due to manslaughter would be a great option.

There was a thread that got deleted a while ago about someone who was pregnant and an aspirin prescription which got pretty out of hand.

There are some occasions when all the experts in the world would not be able to give the OP the correct advice. It usually starts with:

'Can anyone tell me what type of plant/tree we need to buy here?'

And then a whole list of totally impossible requirements - it must be fast-growing to cover an eyesore, but as soon as it reaches the required height it needs to stop growing immediately and never grow any bigger. It needs to be evergreen. It needs to have lots of lovely flowers (preferably pink or white) all year round. It must cast no shade whatever at any time of year. It must require absolutely no maintenance or watering. It must be strong and robust enough to withstand footballs, random intruders and dog attack, yet must also be feathery, delicate, without any thorns and definitely not poisonous. It should not produce the sort of berries which children like to pick. It needs to be able to grow in deep shade / full sun / and either bone dry or permanently boggy soil. It must never overhang the neighbour's garden and must not drop so much as a single leaf. Ever.

Good luck with finding all that on a plant app

maybe build a brick wall and paint a tree on it instead

Oh yeah 'JUST ADOPT' being said to people struggling to conceive makes me cringe. What a stupid and ignorant thing to say.

@DrSbaitso

Does anyone have a link to the melons and strawberries thread? My first thought was that there must be a context because even by MN standards that's a bit extreme...

There's slightly more going on than just forgetting some melon. In essence, woman carries entire burden of the home, man is largely useless. The melon was the tip of the iceberg lettuce.

'Show them this thread' pisses me off too. I mean, (as has been said) how on EARTH can anything positive be achieved by doing that?

@GetTheFlockOutOfHere

Oh yeah 'JUST ADOPT' being said to people struggling to conceive makes me cringe. What a stupid and ignorant thing to say.

Ha yes! I’m a parent through adoption, and soon to have number two arriving. It really isn’t for the faint hearted and you have to want to adopt, rather than just wanting to be a parent/have a baby, they’re two completely different things. The whole ‘just adopt’ also down plays the grief that poster will be suffering due to fertility problems.

Telling people not to go to a&e. It’s the worst thing to do, it makes people feel ashamed for using health services they are entitled to use. I’m thinking of the lady who had an excruciating lump and it turned out to be cancer.

@Simonjt

@DelphiniumBlue

People with no legal training giving wrong legal advice, based on what they think should be the case in an ideal world, rather than based on actual law.

As an actual lawyer, this, 100%. Some of the “advice” given is appalling!

And don’t get me started on this “free 30 minutes” bollocks. Many of us, in fact probably most of us, just don’t do that!

@DrSbaitso

Nor the worst I've seen, but earlier today a charmer told an unmarried SAHM, who is not on the deeds or mortgage for her partner's home despite putting her £25k divorce settlement into it, that anyone who said this was a cause for concern and her relationship could fail was just "bitter".

User has a clear agenda, but OP might not have been familiar with that person's other pearls of wisdom.

There's always at least one on those threads.

It amazes me. Not so much the crazy advice but there are actual human beings with these thought processes. Although I do read a lot of it with a pinch of salt.

I’m not sure it necessarily counts as advice, but the people on the Christmas gift threads that like giving as little as possible to their kids at Christmas. Not for financial reasons etc.

And don’t get me started on this “free 30 minutes” bollocks. Many of us, in fact probably most of us, just don’t do that!

I’ve never understood that at all. In order to give advice solicitors need to onboard someone as a client - performing conflict checks, getting KYC etc. Then they need all the factual details and documents in order to be able to advise. Maybe there are some firms who advertise ‘30 minutes free’ to get people through the door, but where this idea came from that every solicitor ‘owes’ you a free 30 minutes I’ve no idea.

Really awful one on the thread where the OP is wanting to control her SIL pregnancy due to struggling with her own infertility.
She go told " her time will come, try to enjoy this stage"
The worst possible thing to say when there is no guarantee ever of success, just wow🙄