Board title

[HeiXiong]

This board was created by a great discussion on the site stuff board.

the scope of the board was a welcoming space for mumsnetters without children (both childfree and childless) to share life experiences.

Whilst it’s great we have a board I’m baffled as to why childless posters have not been included in the board they also lobbied for. Not only is the board clearly labelled as for the childfree, but the name of the board is a pretty cruel pun for any posters struggling to adjust to life without children.

can we please have the “mumsnetters without children” board we asked for?

Actually where is this board? I can't see it under forums.

I am childfree, not by choice, so thank you MN for changing the name of the board.

What do you mean? You have posted over fifty times in the past few days saying that posters without children are being excluded from a board that is for posters without children. It’s not making much sense.

This new board is for all MNers who do not have any children, whether that be through choice, infertility, loss, or any other reason. I am childfree, not by choice, and I think it’s going to be a really useful space.

The new name is much, much better than MumsNot which only served to reinforce the negative feelings about ‘not’ being a mum. Thank you @YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet for the welcome change!

Exactly this. The infertility boards are for those still actively ttc, who still have hope. They are not appropriate for those who have come to the end of their fertility journey and are thinking “what now?”

Whilst I enjoyed the Mumsnet handle MumsNot (having chosen to not to have a child), I think Child Free is better. We're all in the same boat for a myriad of different reasons so let's come together and find some common ground and embrace our status.

I think it should be "MNers without children".

Although childfree women might not want to talk about things like IVF and miscarriages, there are other spaces on MN where childless women can talk about that. And I think they would continue to talk about that there.

This board, I think, should be about the common issues that both childfree and childless people have.

A bigger issue is the ads on MN. Can we somehow exclude the child-related ones from this board?

I'm sad to see the change in title, it feels less inclusive. Although I understand why others are uncomfortable with it.

While I am undoubtedly not a Mum I am not sure I am comfortable with Childfree.

Like many here it isn't a black and white issue. I haven't battled infertility, but I am not entirely 100% happily with my childlessness. Mumsnot included me, Mumsnetters without children would include me, Childfree and Childless Mumsnetters pretty much includes us all but just using Childfree Mumsnetters rather excludes those who feel a sense of loss and sets a certain tone that I don't think was what we wanted when we lobbied for the board.

Yes I agree

’Life without children’ also has the advantage of describing a thing (ie life) rather than describing a person (ie childfree person/childless person/not a mum etc) so perhaps less likely to offend?

I’d assume ‘life without children’ would be for anyone who has a life ahead of them without children, regardless of whether they have ever wanted a child, not wanted a child, or indeed had and sadly lost a child.

I agree with @JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon and @RhubarbRocks. I don’t want there to be a separation of childfree and childless people.

It’s a tough balance because I never got the impression that the board was supposed to be a celebration of being without kids, nor do I think it was supposed to be a gentle comfort board for those who can’t have them. It’s more a board to discuss various things that arise for women who aren’t following the traditional path in life - good, bad, confusing, frightening, etc.

It was never intended to - nor could it - replace the infertility board. But there are women like me who have a foot in both camps and just want a place to hang out where it’s not assumed that the collective nature of the place is motherhood.

I would like “life without children”, I think.

I don’t personally have a view on what the board is called, but I don’t want to exclude anyone who doesn’t have children for whatever reason.

I’m one of the women who doesn’t have children through circumstance, but am quite content about that, so neither childfree nor childless fits that well - I personally tend to just say that I don’t have children - so maybe something like “life without children” would work well.

I don't mind what it's called, I completely agree with @fitzwilliamdarcy in regards to the ethos of the thread.

Whether childless not by choice or childfree by circumstance or choice, it's a place to discuss life experiences, thoughts, encounters, questions etc that relate in any way to not having children, without being questioned why we're "here on Mumsnet".

I really don't mind what the title is, but equally I don't want posters feeling hurt or pained by a title.

It's all just semantics. Childfree. Childless. Same thing. The board title, as MNHQ have pointed out, needs to be short and easily understood. It's not the place for nuance or trying to be all things to all people.

I dislike both childfree and childless as descriptions, both hideous in different ways and so loaded.

I like factual: "I don't have children". And, as it happens, I'm perfectly happy to not have children.

We need two separate boards.

The same concerns childless posters have now will still be there then the board has threads like "what's your favourite thing about not having kids" or "I'm retiring early because I don't have kids"

As a CF person I also don't want to scroll through endless threads about how sad it is to not have kids, infertility, etc - it's two separate topics completely and combining them in one board seems chaotic

Another one here who was childfree not by choice, then came to terms with it and the benefits of not having adorable 18-year financial, emotional and time commitments.

Actually, I hardly care enough about it to follow a board specifically for us. It's possible the most eager users would be those who are sad about being childfree. So it would be a sad board with a caring name.

But haven't they already got their own boards? 🤔

Am I alone in thinking that MumsNot is a brilliant name? It's short, witty, and doesn't say why the posters don't have DCs.

If the purpose of the board is for people who don't have children to share that together and celebrate the benefits of being child free then it works.

If the purpose of the board is to support those who can not have children but want to then it's crass.

I don't see how one board can support both groups sufficiently .

Agree. There are boards if people want to discuss infertility etc. This board should be about life being awesome and not grieving for what people longed for. Please not “life without children” though. That makes it sound miserable and as if something is missing from life

I thought the reasoning behind this board was a space for issues specific to not having children, such as inheritance, workplace etc. Issues that affect anybody without children regardless of how they feel about not having children.

Now it's suddenly about life being awesome without children? Who decided that?!

I thought the same as @Peacepudding - but of course people can start whatever threads they like

Hi, I'm childfree. I love kids (and work with them). Please don't equate childfree with 'doesn't like kids'

I don’t understand- yesterday there was a new topic called MumsNot and today there’s this one - is this another one or has @mumsnet changed it again? Why the change from MumsNot @YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet? It seemed catchy and people seemed to like it (once you cleared up the snot association problem!)

I didn't have an issue with it, but you only have to read this thread to see that many do. It's really not that hard to read it?

I agree. MumsNot was fine. Unfortunately the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
It would be great to return to MumsNot. With the explanatory strapline of "for childless and childfree mnetters".