Page 7 | If you don’t have/had/want children why are you here?

HaveringWavering · 13/07/2022 12:58

PurpleDaisies · 13/07/2022 12:53

What I basically mean is, the perception of the site is that it's all about parenting so why would someone with no interest in parenting look at the site in the first place in order to find out that it's not, in fact, all about parenting and that, therefore, they do have an interest in it?

You’re starting from the position that the general perception is that it’s a site only about parenting. There have been plenty of stories in the press taken directly from mumsnet that show it isn’t.

I think people assume that “Mumsnet” describes both the majority user demographic AND the topics of conversation. That myth is easily busted if you come on and have a look around the boards, and I suspect a lot of people click on threads from Google and only really twig after reading that they are on Mumsnet.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 13/07/2022 13:05

I googled reviews of a beauty product. Generally hang out on Style and Beauty, and The Litter Tray. I have never felt unwelcome for being childless as a huge portion of the forum is not about parenting.

WhenDovesFly · 13/07/2022 13:06

FFS this AGAIN!!

If you click on the TALK link you'll see there are threads on weightloss, diet, bereavement, relationships, health, books, education, feminism, tv and films, home and garden, money, pets, employment, travel and tons more.

The forum is much wider than talking about parenting.

Bbq1 · 13/07/2022 13:13

Robin198 · 12/07/2022 17:34

I’m aware the title sounds quite nippy and I don’t mean it to. Having read a post from a person considering cutting off friends since they’ve had kids it genuinely made me wonder…if you don’t have or have had or want or even like children what attracted you to a forum where the main users are all of the above?

Am I being unreasonable to assume that users of MN have/had/want/like children?

I see where you're coming from Op and I do wonder the same sometimes. I know there's a lot of topics but I always wonder about those users who don't have children and deliberately think 'Oh, I know, I'll go on Mumsnet '

EmmaGrundyForPM · 13/07/2022 13:17

I came here years ago when I was Googling pro's and cons of granite worktops. I then realised what an amazing place it was. My dc were teens at the time, but I've rarely participated in any child-related threads.

I really like the FWR stuff, the politics a d the CF threads.

Bubblebubblebah · 13/07/2022 13:19

Bbq1 · 13/07/2022 13:13

I see where you're coming from Op and I do wonder the same sometimes. I know there's a lot of topics but I always wonder about those users who don't have children and deliberately think 'Oh, I know, I'll go on Mumsnet '

Show quote history

Most explained how they got here.
Exactly through that unrelated topics.

Top 10 on aibu (as in with latest comments) 3 out of 10 are about kids. That's it.

HaveringWavering · 13/07/2022 13:29

Bbq1 · 13/07/2022 13:13

I see where you're coming from Op and I do wonder the same sometimes. I know there's a lot of topics but I always wonder about those users who don't have children and deliberately think 'Oh, I know, I'll go on Mumsnet '

Show quote history

If you had actually read this thread you would not have needed to make that comment!

HaveringWavering · 13/07/2022 13:34

what attracted you to a forum where the main users are all of the above?

@Robin198 you do realise that in daily life you will interact with all sorts of people who have children, yet the thing you are doing or discussing with them has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with children? For example, I have no idea if some of my colleagues even have kids because their parental status is as irrelevant to our discussion as their race, weight, religion, gender, hair colour or sexual preference.

I think you are conflating the idea of a group of people all being one thing (eg Firemen) and them all want to talk about the thing they have in common. Think of it instead like a group of hairdressers who get together to discuss gardening. Does that help?

monsterastuckiosa · 13/07/2022 13:52

I'm glad at least this was a thread about why we're on Mumsnet and OP wasn't just asking why we exist at all 😅

With all this bollocks in the Telegraph lately about taxing childfree people extra and banning us from taking holidays, I half opened this expecting something FAR more existential....

Stabbitystabstab · 13/07/2022 13:56

Honestly?
Penis beaker brought me here
A last ditched attempt at motherhood Post 40 made me read into things more.
The feminist board keeps me here.

prinnycessa · 13/07/2022 15:22

@monsterastuckiosa can you link some of those articles?! I haven't seen them

Bubblebubblebah · 13/07/2022 15:40

prinnycessa · 13/07/2022 15:22

@monsterastuckiosa can you link some of those articles?! I haven't seen them

www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/voices/tax-childless-couple-uk-inflation-b2115018.html%3famp

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/04/population-crisis-britain-paul-morland

www.google.com/amp/s/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/sunday-times-article-tax-childless_uk_62c2a896e4b00a9334ea7083/

And so on.

I believe it is Telegraph who has unhealthy obsession with millenials as well. Everything is our fault😂

monsterastuckiosa · 13/07/2022 18:39

@prinnycessa as above, and then literally just google 'tax the childless' and they'll all pop up. Just when I think the world has gone as batshit as it can possibly be.... 😂

Bubblebubblebah · 13/07/2022 18:44

I am a millenial immigrant childfree woman.

The ultimate evil. Literally everything bad happening to the country can be traced to me through one of the above 4.
Bow before me.

😂

Bubblebubblebah · 14/07/2022 15:39

Lol, guys

www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/child-free-travellers-should-banned-going-holiday-summer/

If you don’t have/had/want children why are you here?

prinnycessa · 14/07/2022 15:45

@Bubblebubblebah and @monsterastuckiosa thanks both, have had a read now. Absolutely ridiculous, it won't get off the ground. Too many issues, what about those that desperately want children but can't? Those with adult children living abroad? Would it apply to them as their children aren't contributing to this society? Parents who lost children? Just ridiculous

Naunet · 14/07/2022 15:46

Because it’s one of the few female centric corners of the internet.

Ihaveroyallyscrewedup · 14/07/2022 15:58

I’m a parent but that’s not why I’m here, I googled something to do with property and it led me here, I stay for all manner of reasons. We do love a parking thread in this house, if the teens ask what I’m doing and the answer is reading mumsnet the next thing out of their mouths is always “Oooh any good parking threads” 😁

RhiWrites · 14/07/2022 15:58

Dieterr · 13/07/2022 12:48

As someone who does have children - I can easily understand why someone without children would enjoy this forum, most of the discussions aren't child-based or parent-centric.

I do often wonder, though, how non-parents or people who aren't trying to become parents actually came to be on Mumsnet - I'd heard of it before becoming pregnant but (because of the name) assumed I'd have no interest in it - the same way I wouldn't look at a gardening forum or a car forum. I can easily understand why non-parents would enjoy the site - but I can't figure out how they figured that out in the first place 😂

I'm definitely not phrasing this correctly. What I basically mean is, the perception of the site is that it's all about parenting so why would someone with no interest in parenting look at the site in the first place in order to find out that it's not, in fact, all about parenting and that, therefore, they do have an interest in it?

@Dieterr i have two sisters, two same age female cousins and two SILs (and the equivalent number of their husbands, partners etc) and they all have kids.

I came to Mumsnet and AIBU because I love advice columns and because I wanted to be a bit more immersed in the parental perspective without having to be told.

That has helped me to better understand what kind of support is useful and what would be burden.

SummerWinterSummerWinter · 14/07/2022 16:18

Quite like being on a forum full of loads of women? Because the people here have useful opinions on things to do with friendships, relationships, house stuff, job stuff, career stuff?

I don't want kids and I don't particularly like kids, and I hate being a kid, and I knew I didn't want kids, when I was a kid. Although I care about my friends' kids by proxy because I care about them.