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MNers without children

This board is primarily for MNers without children - others are welcome to post but please be respectful

Original poster

Childfree - how did you find MN?

76 replies

HenriettaTheVIII · 08/06/2023 12:11

Many years ago I was out with a group and a couple of mums were talking about a few threads and the bun fights happening on them. They showed them to me one was about school gate cliques and the other breastfeeding in public toilets. It was a fascinating eye opener for me especially the school gate chatter but after that lunch I forgot about MN until I was searching for how to get that musty smell out of washed gym clothes. I saw a thread complaining about a neighbours renovation and got hooked 😁

OP posts:
GrumpyPanda · 25/06/2023 18:31

Came for the feminism.

CockyTeeHunz4Eva · 25/06/2023 18:35

Came for step parenting threads, stayed for parking dramas.

SecretVictoria · 25/06/2023 18:40

I’d heard of it but never thought it was for me. However, when IMDB closed their message boards, then Digital Spy closed their General Discussion, there didn’t seem to be anywhere for general chit chat and that had a variety of topics.

Joined 5 years ago when DH was having cancer treatment as I needed a distraction.

AnnaMagnani · 25/06/2023 19:37

I knew of it from another forum which has now faded a lot.

Started planning a wedding - every wedding forum was completely bonkers except for Mumsnet.

Stayed for the feminism and general chit-chat.

Investinavest · 25/06/2023 19:44

Years ago I was working temporarily for a big firm, and I heard the managers talking about a thread on Mumsnet - in fact it's just come back to me, it was about that zoo in Europe that fed parts of the carcass of a deceased giraffe to the lions, in front of a visiting group of school kids.

They all had it open on their PCs and were reading (batshit) posts aloud to one another. I also distinctly recall my manager making odd references to Pom Bears and "naice" ham which I didn't understand at the time, so I went and looked it up. Stumbled upon the weird viral chaos that was Penis Beaker and have stayed ever since, despite not having children.

Livingmybestlifenow · 26/06/2023 04:30

Penis beaker here too!

GrannyWeatherwaxsHatpin · 27/06/2023 11:22

Came for Penis Beaker, stayed for the feminism (and it was a handy way to procrastinate while I was job hunting a few years ago) Grin

hilariousnamehere · 27/06/2023 11:28

Friend suggested I should wade in on a bridesmaid/photo thread because I'm a photographer and have been a bridesmaid a lot - and then I got hooked 😂

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 02/07/2023 22:56

I came for FWR and stayed for Relationships, The Litter Tray, and Neurodiverse Mumsnetters.

SquirrelFeed · 03/07/2023 09:00

I was on hitched/deadwood and wanted a replacement when they moved to Facebook. Pretty sure I’d seen it mentioned there.

RobertaFirmino · 07/07/2023 22:18

SecretVictoria · 25/06/2023 18:40

I’d heard of it but never thought it was for me. However, when IMDB closed their message boards, then Digital Spy closed their General Discussion, there didn’t seem to be anywhere for general chit chat and that had a variety of topics.

Joined 5 years ago when DH was having cancer treatment as I needed a distraction.

The General Discussion on DS was legendary at times. I'll never forget the live Moviprep thread!

As for me, it was Penis Beaker that brought me here and Elderly Korean Lady that got me hooked.

KimberleyClark · 08/07/2023 08:24

It was mentioned on another forum I was on which was a bit like polite dinner party conversation compared with this. Wasn’t really a good fit for me. So I came here to have a look around, liked it and stayed.

Did anyone ever post on the old BBC forums?

dentsdubonheur · 17/07/2023 15:33

Used to scour the boards for inspo when working on a rival parenting website/mag about 13 years ago and then got hooked in permanently thanks to the madness that was threads such as Penis Beaker and Centre Parcs An*l.

Love the AIBU thread - particularly when I'm having a wobble about being childfree and single and then I read about all the nightmare husband/tantruming kids/moody teenager threads and realise my life is actually pretty good!

Also love a CF parking thread or a bridezilla/hen party moan (so much of MN is not parenting-related and is essentially a bunch of grumpy gossips - what's not to love?!)

And I actually only realised today via a thread on AIBU questioning why there are women on MN without kids, that there's a Child-free thread!

So glad I discovered it as now I really feel like I've found my tribe 🙋and I'm not the only child-free weirdo mooching around on a parenting forum! 😆

CaptainBatEars · 17/07/2023 18:56

KimberleyClark · 08/07/2023 08:24

It was mentioned on another forum I was on which was a bit like polite dinner party conversation compared with this. Wasn’t really a good fit for me. So I came here to have a look around, liked it and stayed.

Did anyone ever post on the old BBC forums?

@KimberleyClark yes, me! On the mustard-coloured one <taps side of nose> under a different username

BriceNobeslovesMurielHeslop · 17/07/2023 18:59

I came here for the multiple and long running threads on a very widely reported medical case in 2017. The posters were so compassionate and well informed, a credit to the site really. Then I found the feminist boards and the classics (penis beaker, Mexican house thief etc) and that was me hooked.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 17/07/2023 19:37

And I actually only realised today via a thread on AIBU questioning why there are women on MN without kids, that there's a Child-free thread!

Are they still really at this? does it never occur to people asking this that it might have been asked before?

then got hooked in permanently thanks to the madness that was threads such as Penis Beaker and Centre Parcs Anl*

I didn't imagine the anus bleaching thread, did I? tell me I didn't.

fitzwilliamdarcy · 17/07/2023 19:54

Are they still really at this? does it never occur to people asking this that it might have been asked before?

They are. Apparently there are pictures of babies on the site so it’s not for us.

minou123 · 17/07/2023 23:29

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 17/07/2023 19:37

And I actually only realised today via a thread on AIBU questioning why there are women on MN without kids, that there's a Child-free thread!

Are they still really at this? does it never occur to people asking this that it might have been asked before?

then got hooked in permanently thanks to the madness that was threads such as Penis Beaker and Centre Parcs Anl*

I didn't imagine the anus bleaching thread, did I? tell me I didn't.

I didn't imagine the anus bleaching thread, did I? tell me I didn't.

No, no you didn't. It's forever etched in my memory. 😁

Here it is for you to enjoy all over again

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/3169666-anal-bleaching?page=1

Anal bleaching | Mumsnet

Right, I'm looking for a product to lighten up the skin around my anus and vulva. Approaching 40 and had 3 kids - I couldn't look less like a porn sta...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/3169666-anal-bleaching?page=1

KimberleyClark · 17/07/2023 23:40

CaptainBatEars · 17/07/2023 18:56

@KimberleyClark yes, me! On the mustard-coloured one <taps side of nose> under a different username

Show quote history

😉

moderndaywitch · 18/07/2023 11:42

I Googled something and arrived at a Mumsnet thread

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 18/07/2023 14:32

minou123 · 17/07/2023 23:29

I didn't imagine the anus bleaching thread, did I? tell me I didn't.

No, no you didn't. It's forever etched in my memory. 😁

Here it is for you to enjoy all over again

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/3169666-anal-bleaching?page=1

Show quote history

Reading that again and crying with laughter.

CaptainBatEars · 18/07/2023 14:50

KimberleyClark · 17/07/2023 23:40

😉

Show quote history

There are actually quite a few of ex-MLers here and not just on the thread you'd expect. I've spotted a few, and have had DMs off others asking 'are you x?'. It was the reference to 'polite dinner party conversation' which gave the game away 😁 Like you, I don't post there any more. I dip in occasionally to see what's happening and think 'nah, no change'

MolkosTeenageAngst · 11/08/2023 16:45

I was looking for advice about my cat (can’t remember what now) and google led me to The Litterbox. I initially only really looked at that forum but then discovered AIBU and got a bit hooked on some of the more soap-operaesque ongoing drama threads. Then discovered there were threads in lots of other areas of interest such as telly addicts, staff room (I’m a teacher) etc and that mumsnet is typically a safe female space, I’ve never received a creepy PM from a man like I have on most other forums and I am confident in the unlikely event that I ever did it would be dealt with appropriately, so have stuck around.

natura · 11/08/2023 16:51

Trying to work through my ambivalence about whether I wanted children or not. Thought I might get an honest 'insider's view' of being a parent here, which I did. Helped enormously in my decision.

Saverage · 11/08/2023 17:34

Another one of the penis beaker influx here.