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!!

Ha! I've come back to MN after a break and thought "I wonder how long it'll be till I see a thread asking why non-parents are here"?

8 minutes 😀

@MrsMikeDrop thank you for a reasoned response. I maybe am a little sensitive for reasons I won't go into on here as they'd possibly be outing for me, but I do take your point.
I think you are right in saying it's a fair response if someone is being a dick, absolutely yes. I mean more when I see it thrown about on Facebook, tiktok etc (not necessarily just MN) when nobody actually asked and it's just a random statement on posts or videos specially to do with being a mum. The kinda "this is exactly why I'm glad I've decided never to have any" and then everyone piles on with the "ugh people who have birthed a child..." remarks.
Thank you for picking up on the fact there may be something under the surface and therefore making me a little sensitive to the phrase. I do appreciate that.
Hope your day is a beautiful one today ☀️❤️

Yet as people have said time and time again there are dozens and dozens of sections which are nothing to do with parenting. Things which people who don't have children are more than qualified to be on. You wouldn't as you say post on the black mumsnet section because you're not black. You would post on the parenting section because you're a parent - it's no different to non parents posting in AIBU/property/work etc & avoiding the parenting section

The MN brand is too well known for them to change it now.

Thankfully most people on here don't think the way you do & non parents are a large part of the membership

I think the OP is getting an unfairly hard time.
I wouldn’t join ‘Auntiesnet’ because I don’t have any neices or nephews.
However MN is becoming well known in popular culture, so no wonder non-Mums join for the interesting forums.

Same as the others have said really - Mumsnet is a large collection of women (and some men) from all walks of life, who have experience and knowledge in areas where I have very little or none. It's a brilliant place to see advice from those who may understand where you're coming from and have more experience in the matter, because there are so many parts of this site which have nothing to do with parenting.

I intend on being a parent in the future so I like to read parenting threads to slowly build up my knowledge of parenting, things that can be encountered, how to deal with certain situations etc.

If I'm unable to have children in the future I'll still use Mumsnet. It may have started as a parenting site but it very much appears to be a discussion forum with parenting discussions, along with discussions on anything and everything else!

MN is becoming well known in popular culture

This is so patronising, @Shhhquirrel . Some of those ‘non-Mums’ have probably been here longer than you can imagine and helped make this place what it is.

I’d much rather they stayed than people like OP and her defenders.

You are obviously from another planet, so you must look like this 👽

Anyway you are talking 💩

And once again, it’s not that they’re ‘not welcome’.
I’m sadly not in charge, so what I say doesn’t go.

But here’s a wee taster of exactly why I’d prefer men did not come on here…. 🙄

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4812786-what-presses-your-buttons-with-a-womans-physical-appearance?page=1

Someone (with kids) on another forum recommended Mumsnet to me, said it was not all about parenthood. It is actually the best forum for open discussion of any topic. The one I was on was more like polite dinner party conversation in comparison. I can’t have kids and MN has really helped me in terms of coming to terms with that.

Deleted thread. What was it about? Sounds nasty.

However MN is becoming well known in popular culture, so no wonder non-Mums join for the interesting forums

I've been here since 2007 so you're welcome, I'm glad you've acknowledged my small part in making it interesting.

I joined mumsnet after seeing the crazy nutter type of threads mentioned on another forum…you know, the likes of the good old penis beaker. I use mumsnet now to pass the time. I neither have, nor want kids, but there’s lots of content that is not child related.

I didn’t see the thread, but there’s one running about men’s physical attributes, so I’m guessing it was trying to make some kind of point in response.

Love seeing people lose their shit over this question. OP next you should ask about buggies and wheelchairs on buses 😂

Love seeing people lose their shit over this question. OP next you should ask about buggies and wheelchairs on buses

Yes reading about how life is made harder for the disabled is always fucking hilarious.

Is there actually an argument that buggies should take a priority???? Like really? Or what is that about

Fortunately not by the majority of MN users from what I've seen. But clearly plenty of actual life-life bus users or it wouldn't be an issue. I always find the topic upsetting though, certainly not one that is funny to start a wind-up thread about.

Oh God. I had a physical disability myself for years. I’m talking about the vicious over the top comments that people write. There are specific things people get in a tizz about on here beyond what’s necessary.

I love old style forums and this is the busiest one I know so I come here. If I could deal with the formatting then I'd probably enjoy Twitter and Reddit but they're so annoying to read or follow

Posters and trolls post many nasty comments, across hundreds of threads, across all sub sections, I don't see why you find it particularly hilarious on this thread? Especially when I haven't seen any posters 'losing their shit' here.

Odd attitude...

On every single thread on the topic there are always posters who say they have equal priority, yes.

I confess that I once asked why posters who didn’t want DC would be on Mumsnet. It was when I was very new here, and had only accessed the site via a few AIBU threads on Facebook. I didn’t realise just how many topics were on here and how varied.

Now I know so much better. I much prefer a good parking thread to one on parenting.

Fuck me. That's ridiculous

Exactly! So nice of some flibbertigibbet to give a patronising pat on the back of the head for joining.

Yes, I think the poster who said the child-free are self-entitled for thinking they can post on MN on equal authority with parents was particularly vicious.