What are your unpopular opinions that most mumsnetters don’t agree with?

[Rosebush1245]

Curious to know what opinions you see constantly on mumsnet that you think “Am I the only person that disagrees with that!?”

Nar I think it’s that they probably don’t settle for low standard.

OK this is unpopular on MN but.....back in the real world....

Most 17 year olds cant drive.

Most parents of 17 year olds cant afford the cost of the lessons (£40 quid an hour around here, Midlands), never mind the cost of the car or the eyewatering insurance.

Most 17 year olds walk, catch the bus or get lifts.

Oh and while we are on driving.....IMO driving is not an essential life skill. Its handy to have but definitely not essential.

Julian ASSANGE is a whistleblower and it is people like him that should be celebrated, his arrest meant that “a free press” was simply a con. His release signifies hope for that freedom, albeit a tainted one!

That the working class are the ruling class.
That all media, film, tv and music is created to their tastes to extract money.
They are the majority, and in the current society, they are god. There are few authorities that will check them on anything, from owning dangerous dogs to setting fire along canal paths.

They are also now the main generators of anti education and some rather terrifying politics.

Anyone who suggests that they are the underdog (a solid opinion when I was at uni in the 90's) is mistaken.

Most of them have more money than the bog standard middle class (no objection to that!), and have a good deal of political clout.

Yes back in the real world most parents aren’t still treating their 17 year olds like a 5 year old.

Why do the parents need to pay for this? Why can’t the 17 year old get a job? Plenty of older teens pay for things themselves, I did, my friends did, with money from our part time jobs. We didn’t expect mummy and daddy to pay for it. Got to start teaching independence at some point.

I think it’s shitty to ask your kids grandparents to do all your childcare, just so you don’t have to pay for it. And I think maaany grandparents in this position feel the same way (but will never admit it).

One day a week? Fine, if all are happy. Five days a week? Ridiculous. You need to grow up, stand on your own two feet, and pay for your own childcare.

And it’s ok to shout sometimes.

Those living in utter poverty (most working class people) are hardly the “ruling” class. That doesn’t seem to be a fair statement to make.

Yes back in the real world most parents aren’t still treating their 17 year olds like a 5 year old.
Why do the parents need to pay for this? Why can’t the 17 year old get a job? Plenty of older teens pay for things themselves, I did, my friends did, with money from our part time jobs. We didn’t expect mummy and daddy to pay for it. Got to start teaching independence at some point.

Not really weighing in but just to let you know where we are most 17yos can’t find paying jobs nowadays- experienced adults take any pt jobs (due to shortages) or employees take on less staff. Most of ds’ class couldn’t find pt jobs/ summer jobs unless their parents were farmers or had shops or pubs. I’m 45 and worked from when I was 15 as did everyone I know but now Fb is full of people wishing their teens could find anything. And a 17yo can’t drive on their own yet surely? And if you’re rural you’re a bit stuck for transport!

Well quite.

I am now (apparently) old (52!) but all I those I knew who learned to drive at 17 did it on their own money. We got PT jobs at 16 (admittedly, that is harder these days) and then used our own money.

I didnt earn enough to afford it so I didnt learn until I was 27.

But then, further, most 17 year olds dont have parents who move to a rural idyll after making their money down that London and have to act as taxi drivers or pay thousands so the kids drive themselves. Most 17 year olds live in boring normal towns with boring normal buses and boring normal jobs.

I swear that MN is parallel universe sometimes!

Yup. They have a life too. And yes it is very entitled to expect and say well why can’t there as they don’t work. Don’t have kids if you can’t look after them. Not that hard a concept.

Most my friends had jobs at 16. We loved making our own money. Plus not all parents were able to afford driving lessons, especially if they had more than one kid. Also we would save birthday/christmas money and use this for lessons.

Totally. Listened to my friend moaning about her parents having the temerity to go on holiday this morning. “I mean what am I supposed to do?? Where are they meant to go after school??”

The school has an after school club. It’s not an issue. They simply don’t want to pay for it.

Nah just for the adults.

Of course a 17 year old can drive on their own. Me, my family and all my friends started driving at 17. In America, you can drive at 16. I’m from the city and there are plenty of jobs for teens and adults. So that might be a rural thing. I wouldn’t choose to live in a rural area exactly for these reasons. Definitely wouldn’t be pissing around giving lifts and picking up my teens after they’ve been clubbing.

I love McDonalds 😀

The problem these days is that 16 year olds cant get a lot of jobs for many reasons....

Supermarkets....they cant work on the tills as they cant give authorisation for someone buying age restricted items. Someone else needs to do it for them. So why not just employ an 18 year old who can? Stacking shelves....the hours are often late or overnight for full restocking, which 16 year olds cant do due to school/college.

Hospitality..... they can run food and clear glasses. But so can 18 year olds who can also work on the bar. There is less money spent in pubs since covid, so better to employ someone who can work in all the areas instead of just a couple.

There is no such thing as a Saturday job anymore. When I was 16 I got a job at Superdrug. All the "adults" worked Mon-Fri and we worked on Saturday so they got the weekends off. Now all staff are expected to be "fully flexible", and 16 year olds cant be. So they dont get the job over the older person who can.

I have 5 kids over 18 and not one of them managed to get a job pre 18, despite them all trying really hard to get one. All got jobs within a month of so of their 18th birthdays.

I think that would be predicated on you being asked to contribute to the brides outside activities that cost money. Like a hen do and then being blocked from the wedding. What do you think in that case?

Like the MNer who was recruited to decorate and then "de-wedding" the venue, but then wasnt actually invited to the wedding. Was some years ago now, but it was mind blowing!

I worked at Asda when I was 16, any time there was alcohol you just got the supervisor to authorise it. Took a minute. Last job same thing, if anyone was selling alcohol under the age of 18 they had to get the manager to finish the sale. Not a massive issue. Plenty of jobs for shelf stackers aren’t long and overnight. You making a lot of excuses but yes it is possible for a 16/17 year old to get a part time job. I stand by that.

I was 21, living at home during the summer and working for my dad.
I went to a party in somebody’s backyard - far out in the country, all innocent and above-board, mostly. They had beer. I don’t drink.
Had a lot of fun, left 2am, got home at 3am.
My dad happened to be awake.
He doesn’t say anything all day the next day, but at 4:55pm, 5 minutes before I get off work, he calls me into his office and tells me that as long as I’m living under his roof, I was to be in by midnight.
I almost had a clean getaway.
8, 12, 16, 20, 40, 60 - they’re always your child.

What a joyless way to view birthdays.

At 21 year olds you’re an adult. He sounds controlling.

How old are you?

I am 52. I started my first Saturday job three weeks after my 16th birthday. I have recruited staff and really it is easier to just for the 18 year old over the 16 year old. We get CVs weekly for 16 years olds looking for job, loads of them. No one wants to employ them for a part time job around college hours, they really dont! Maybe it can happen in cities, but not in a suburb or boring "arse end of nowhere" town that most of us live in!

I spent 11 summers in the mountains with my grandparents while my parents and older siblings worked in agriculture.
It began when I was 5, and at first I thought I was being punished.
I never thought to ask my parents why they asked my grandparents, but the logical answer is they were too poor to pay for childcare that would last for over 10 hours a day, sometimes even longer.
People are quick to judge - slow to comprehend.
Being raised by two generations was a blessing for me - and I miss them something fierce.
Others should be so fortunate.