To wonder what really is the majority social demographic on Mumsnet?

[CestNoel]

I see soooo many threads along the lines of:

• should I sack my au-pair?

• anybody know any good cleaners?

• my career is too important for me to go to my child's concert...

• can I get free transport to a private school?!?!?!?

• my dd has been given a non-organic fruit drink at nursery

• drats. My new Boden trousers are too short.

And then, everyone is up in arms at the idea of spending £10 on a present to take to a child's birthday party and we have all sorts of suggestions as to how to buy something suitably non-tack like for about £1.49

Is the beauty of Mumsnet I suppose.......

What a thread! To answer the demographic question...

Shops in Sainsburys and Aldi
Wears M and S and Asda knickers
Has a car that is filthy and old (a new car is a poor investment and money down the drain unless you especially like em)
Keeps her domestic appliances clean(ish)
Eats fruit and vegetables, likes cooking
Absolutely expects her house to have hot water 24/7
No peeling paint on the outside of the house
Votes Conservative
Reads the Times or Independent sometimes but prefer a good book to newspapers
No fast food (but slow food is great)
No Boden - doesn't appeal, buy from ebay, charity shops and dress agencies
Educated - Have degree from top uni and a phD
Children's schools - Not applicable yet

I'm definitely from a working class background (Mum had me aged 20, was single, raised in a council flat). Lucky enough to pass my 11+ and go to a decent school.

Shop at asda, eat lots of veg, fruit and home cooked meals, both work, but cant afford child care of any kind. vote labour.
enjoy searching through second hand shops for clothes, but ALWAYS buy him new shoes, thats very important. live in affulent area but private rent.
would never have an au pair because i cant understand why anyone would leave there young children with and untrained 17 year old. what am I? a mum

my spelling and grammer are shocking, but I am dyslexic.

LEt's face it we all have certain things that define us, that we are happy to share and those we'd rather keep for ourselves. Surely those would be the more telling as to class identity. (Or something, sounded better in my head.) But. I have said it before, too much importance is put on this (still! - am reading room with a view again atm: how topical!) and maamajulla is right, 'tis the season to be jolly and good to all WOmen, no need to be mean (unless someone really pisses you off. Still, better to rise above if you can, I think).

i am amazed at this thread and somewhat amused it makes interesting reading
i have no idea what "class" i am put in will someone please answer id actually love to know as reading this i sound a bit of everything
voting.....dont vote
i shop at sainsburys or mostly get it delivered
we buy the daily mail or times(sun star )banned for my feminist views
children go to a private school
i do not own but am buying
a 5 bedroom house in an exclusive area of gloucestershire
own 2 cars my previa as i have do school runs
dh has a mercedes
we holiday in florida and miami or aruba
BUT do own a caravan in cornwall and often stay there on weekends
i do have a cleaner as i have a big house
i shop at next
see i have a bit of both things really
only eat organic foods which are delivered
oh my gosh never mcdonalds and yes i do dinner parties

disneystar- you are bourgeoisie.

IMO

IF YOU GO OUT TO WORK YOU ARE WORKING CLASS

i work a lot does that make me very working class

Do working class people have to actually go out to work? I work at home and am just knocking off now. What do you all do, you people who get to leave the house?

My family are upper middle class and my dh's are working class. We are mostly middle class. Our families coudn't be more different if they tried, and the only time they met (when we got married) they were all very uncomfortable. My father's family is academic middle class, and my mother's family are more country set. Most people I know are not as extreme in their ways and views as either mine of my dh's families.

A nice example of the difference between our families was when ds was born. FIL gave us a cheque for a cot. My father set up a savings account for ds's year out. It's all about the assumptions (both gifts were welcome though).

One of the most clear differences to me is in attitudes to money. My dh's family when they have done well have spent their money on whatever they wanted, nice cars, big teles, holidays etc. My mother on the other hand thinks that wearing her mothers old clothes (good material don't ya know) is just fine, turns the heating off whenever possible, and feels that showing you have money is ostentatious and vulgar. But also shops at Waitrose and has her furniture handmade. We hope we have acheived more of a happy medium!

I'm probably missing the point here, but my question is, 'why is it seen as so bad to be middle class?'. Surely it'd be a very boring world if we were all the same? And, if you don't like the way someone is living their lives, then that's ok because it's their life and not yours. If you're annoyed over someone fretting over Boden trousers or free transport to private schools, would that not signify a slight raising of the green eyed monster?

By sheer dint of the fact that we live in a democracy it means that some people will have more money than you and some will have less. How they choose to spend it is their decision.

Live and let live. There's enough crap going on in the world at the moment, why add more stress to your life by getting anxious over things you can't control.

This is just what we need - a fun thread. Ho, ho, ho, says Father Christmas.

Diagnose me, oh MNers.

Upper middle class father and clever, self-educated council-estate-born mother produced my siblings and me (private school girls from 5-18).

I have a degree and PhD from top universities, and earn as good as nothing.

We have an old crumbly car, though I'd really like an Aston Martin (which is what I grew up with).

I vote Conservative and read the Telegraph.

We have a cleaner (who has also become one of my best friends) and two children at prep schools.

I do not buy clothes, make-up, or anything that might use up school fee money (other than the occasional Boden purchase when DH is not looking).

We own our house (jointly with Barclays), and own two other houses outright.

I would not dream of owning a house that had any kind of paintwork on the outside - only stone houses will do (I suppose mellow red bricks would be okay, if in North Yorkshire).

We never, ever go abroad. We have one annual self-catering holiday in Cornwall or on the N Yorks coast.

DH is posh!

So hit me with it...

You are a character in a Richard Curtis film.

ok-

i only eat reformed meat and sugar puffs

i am a cleaner

i read Bella

i'm fick

my kids's school has a metal detector

i vote only for reality programmes

oooh oooh what am I?

What's occurring?

Me names Ness and I have a lovely DS called Neil. We live down here on Barry. Barry is the best.

www.le.ac.uk/education/resources/SocSci/intclass.html

what about MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?

Hand on heart have you been entirely truthful Binks? Looking at the suggested demographics of Mumsneters you would be a statistical aberration .

I am very middle class - family with degrees and professions back as far as we can be bothered to trace. Dp is first generation middle class. Or children.... Well, lets say dp's face when he watched dd getting ready to go to Pony Club yesterday was a picture, and he's been muttering dark Northern things about Mills, and Pits and Whippets and Plot Toffee and Barm cakes and Holes In't Road and Think On Young Lady ever since.

Oops, sorry Blinks, noel and all that (makes note to put contacts back in).

had to share with you here ive just read on another thread that you are considered posh if you child either has a pony or does pony lessons ect..... i thought it was funny and extremely untrue

Tee hee.

fleur- i don't know what 'statistical aberration' means as (previously stated), I am fick.

disneystar- i've got a ponytail. does that count?

Whatever we are, aren't we all clever, beautiful and articulate .. !!

I do think that most mumsnetters are funny and intelligence, in all seriousness.