To ask why so many child-free people are on Mumsnet?

[DarlingClementine85]

I already know this is going to be divisive and I'm hesitating before I even type this. I don't mean this in a snarky or judgemental way at all. It's just a straightforward question that I've been pondering. It seems there's a lot of posters on here who are child-free by choice (I'm not talking about people dealing with infertility who would dearly love to be parents). And I was wondering why, as this is predominantly a forum for getting or giving parental advice? For questions about trying to understand their friends with kids, I absolutely get it. But I see plenty of threads about various parenting issues and there's always people saying things like "I don't have kids, but..."

TIA for not taking offence!!

Most posts on here are about Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield - nothing to do with being a mum.

Oh god, this again...

Because this is an online forum with many different topics of discussion, most of which have nothing to do with children.

this is predominantly a forum for getting or giving parental advice?

That might have been the aim when it was founded but would you really say that's true now? If Mumsnet could give a list if the 100 most viewed threads in a week what % of those threads would you say would be about parenting?

The threads people go wild for are never about parenting. They're about parking wars, and weddings, and what celeb do you fancy, and that thing their annoying colleague did.

There's so many topics that are unrelated to parenthood. I also think because it's mosty females who create and reply to threads, that it's just nice to discuss things/wider issues with other women.

Use the search function and read one of the multiple threads that have already discussed this topic in vast detail - YABU

Perhaps you could do a search for the many many times this has been asked before?

Or are we going to go through it all again? Because I’ll get the bingo cards ready if we are.

This again? This is asked once a month at least, just look back on one of those threads if this is really a question you've been pondering....

Oh no I already feel like this is going south lol. I'm very new to Mumsnet and I only really click on the threads that interest me which are about parenting, which most of them seem to be, to be fair? I didn't know this had previously been brought up sorry.

There are lots of interesting threads about other topics, too, they’re what I read and comment on.

I mean, I've spent my time here replying to threads about free booze, weddings, work disputes, clothes....
None have involved children

Im a parent but hide most of the pregnancy/baby/toddler/parenting threads because they're the most boring. The best topics are the ones not related to parenting.

So OP why are you posting a topic that has nothing to do with children, after all its a parenting site. I don't mean this in a snarky or judgemental way at all. It's just a straightforward question that I've been pondering. 🙄

I was on here before I had kids, anything you google normally ends up with a mumsnet page somewhere near the top. Also, lots of the other boards on here like gardening, pets, health etc are nothing to do with parenting.

Could be because I find other women informative, funny, moving, erudite, passionate and empathetic.

Then I read posts like yours (and, tbf, the whole Holly and Phil dross) and think - why in hell do I read this shit?

Don’t apologise op. It’s a reasonable question for a new user to ask. No need for the snarky responses.

I might ask MN for a board for this question so I can hide the topic.

Oh here we go again. This must get asked every week 🙄

It's far from predominantly about parenting now. There are dozens of subjects that those of us who don't have children are more than capable of contributing

I have a kid but most of what I talk about on here doesn't really have much to do with her or parenting.

It's just nice to be able to chat to other women about stuff, I'm not bothered if they've got kids or not.

Very few threads I read are for parenting advice to be honest.

Not all topics are about children.

I dont want children myself but I work with them every day, I have nieces and nephews, my friends have children, I learn a lot here.

I like to help people where I can and people need advice and company here.

I dont have Instagram or Facebook or anything so I scroll here in the evenings.

Also this place is fuckin hilarious sometimes so, for fun too.

Wow ok I guess I touched a nerve 🙈

The OP didn’t say she was new in her first post and to be fair on many other threads where this question is asked it’s coming from a goady place which is why people have got their backs up. Because then there is a lot of “you don’t belong here” type comments that start

as this is predominantly a forum for getting or giving parental advice

Is it? I thought it was a Forum with advice on Pets, Home Decoration, Food, Books, Holidays, Property, Health and raising children. Do you think that once you have children you should only post about that?

I don't have children and would never post giving advice on raising children. Although, as everyone knows we childless people are experts on raising children.

Perhaps other posters just have different opinions - no nerves involved.

Lol it's not divisive, just very repetitive.