What has Mumsnet taught you you've been doing wrong all of your adult life without realising?!

[harriethoyle]

Inspired by a recent thread, in which I read multiple posters saying you shouldn't wear mascara on your bottom lashes (which I have been doing for the last 30 years 😂) what has Mumsnet told or taught you you've been doing wrong?

The irritating thing is then I made one eye up as usual and made one up without mascara on the bottom lashes and DH preferred the without eye! Don't even get me started on my inability to make a chicken last a week...

OMG yes. Sticky side down 😆

@harriethoyle araiwa · Today 11:30

I answer both my door and phone if it rings

You do what?! Get out of here!!!

Apparently, all my years of paying energy bills, utilties bills, mortgage payments, et cetera on time was wrong. Apparently, according to friends, I am "anal". I spent my 20s and 30s (mostly) only buying things I could afford. I avoided weekly cafe & restaurant visits until my house was paid off (1985-1994) ... I am 68, completely debt-free with half a million in superanuation and a house recently valued at 600K-650K. My non-superannuation savings are close to a quarter million. I paid cash for my new car in 2022. I am now realising that my so-called ANAL existence is good. I see myself as an asset rather than a liabilty.

Really? Me neither! Must look.

OP, I saw your title and was all ready to slide in with the mascara on bottom lashes thing. Mind blowing. But also, see side partings.
Both habits consign us to the unutterable hell of being as old as we are.

I’ve also learnt though, that women can be both wonderful and terrible to other people, and the anonymity of MN allows that.

Oh, and some people won’t have a bin in the bathroom, because it’s disgusting. Obviously not more disgusting than flushing sanitary products, or wrapping them in tissue and stowing them in your bag, or as one loon claimed, carrying them downstairs to put directly into the outside bin!

People who aren’t you are so endlessly fascinating, aren’t they?!

I used to wear sanitary towels sticky side down ! Always. Tampons hurt so wondering if it was me or I put them in wrong ?? ..😑
Glad when all that was over tbh

And, if my phone rings and I see who's calling, I almost always answer it. I am pleased to see who's at my front door. [If they are 'selling' religion, ral estate or questionable products, I politly close the door in under 40 seconds!

I should be decorating my home for Autumn

TheGrimSqueakersFlea
I've been doing things when they need done, paying bills by direct debit and standing order, and making appointments when I need them. I didn't know that I was supposed to call it life admin, and make a big deal out of how time consuming and stressful it is

But I do find it stressful in case there isn't the money in the account to pay for it all.

OMG - really? I have loathsome brushes and copious bottle of bleach too. Off to google alternative ways to keep your loo clean with two teenagers who struggle to flush or get it all it the pan now…

I do this. I do not care about disapproval. They are exposed outside. They can be run over by rats, shit on by pigeons etc. They are not clean. My children's feet are not dirtying it. I anti bac their hands when they come out. It is enough trauma containing my toddler in there, I am not dealing with running loose. Just do what suits and ignore any crap about it.

I didn't.

Because when I started using tampons in the early 90s it was on the leaflet that you could flush not only the tampon but the applicator too.

I didn't and don't use public toilets very often so missed the public service announcement on toilets.

I had no idea. I have just googled it. Now I get it. And wow, what an unbelievably inappropriate gift!

I’ve learnt that some people have the most hideous taste in clothes and baby names judging by some of the fashion and baby name threads.

I do actually wish I’d been privy to MN twenty (and more) years ago as I think it can be really good for opening your eyes to how low you set your bar with men (as I did at times). I would have found it so useful instead of putting up with some of the crap I did (huge regret in my life).

Celebrating birthdays and Christmas.

Opening my door to strangers, a door that actually locks by itself.

Sending my kids to private school.

Not kicking my kids out at 18.

Accepting wedding invitations.

Enjoying weddings.

Giving my kids advice.

Liking and getting on with my in-laws.

Buying presents for in-laws.

Not restricting myself to a soupçon of alcohol once every eleventy billion years.

I told my immediate family and closest friends I was pregnant before 12 weeks!

Oh loads

That children shouldn’t eat cereal for breakfast or they’ll starve

That children should be gentle parented and never sleep trained or disciplined… and that when you have a child you should just give up your life,relationship, career, sleep and basic needs otherwise you’re a bad mother.

That wanting friends as an adult is needy

That talking to strangers in public is prying or strange

oh and if your child misbehaves (even if due to gentle parenting) they clearly have ADHD/ Autism/ dyspraxia despite specialists finding no such evidence in assessment.

I could have listed these too. So glad to know I’m not the only outlier. Fucking love my in-laws. And good G&T whenever the mood takes me! It’s the only way to contend with the DCs who are over 18 and still living at home…

Not that I learned from MN that how I wiped my bum was 'wrong' but i'd always wiped my bum front to back for hygiene reasons while seated on the toilet but only found out from MN that apparently, lots of people stand up to wipe their bum.

Which to me, seems an inefficient and unhygienic way to wipe the anal area but MN told me loads of people do it apparently, and think it's weird that people other people wipe their bum while seated on the toilet.

It's taught me that I'm actually rude

I've had posts deleted that I'm still baffled about

And I read some of the posts on here calling others rude which have left me totally nonplussed. It usually all seems entirely reasonable

Never worrying in the slightest about other mums on the school run. I thought you just breezed in, waved and smiled at people you know, drop your child, pass pleasantries with anyone who approaches you and scarper fast to get to work, on with jobs on days off or to the shops, etc.

Came here to say exactly this! Cheers!

This also..

That it’s a huge deal sharing a bathroom with a trans person.., I don’t think I’ve ever looked at strangers in a public bathroom nor have I ever worried what way they do their business in the cubicle beside me.

Recently, I walked into the men’s bathroom at a huge London train station, did my business and only realised while washing my hands where I was. Nobody seemed to care but assuming maybe some thought I was trans. All was fine, life went on…

What on earth do you need to wipe your trolley down for?! Even if a kid has been stood in it, your food comes in packaging! Even fruit & veg goes in bags and most of it has natural packaging ie: skins!
Also, do you not wash your hands when you get in from being out & you've put all the shopping away?!
I just don't get the need. The trolleys are hardly dripping with filth! I bet you don't sanitize your steering wheel & car door? What about your dinner plates & cutlery? A dishwasher gets hot yes, but doesn't sanitize! Heat resistant bacteria! Do you sanitize your oven?! Fridge? 🙄😆

That my DH is a CMS dodging wanker and is just pretending to actually love his children by having them 50%. He cannot possibly just like being a dad and want to see his children as much as possible, it's all motivated by the money. Fact.