Things I wasn't aware of until I joined MN

[Truckulent]

This is meant to be light-hearted, as i'm snowed in and climbing the walls. If it gets 5 posts I'll be surprised.

Also this could end up with me and Belfastbloke posting.

But as a Dad wending my slightly puzzled way through life. Until I landed on MN I'd never heard, thought of or been aware of the following:

1. Greggs sausage rolls and Fruit Shoots are considered the work of the devil. I love the sausage rolls.

1. Wohm and SAHM debate, it's never cropped up before in my life, surely it's whatever suits each family.

1. Boden. Never ever heard of it before.

1. Breast and bottle feeding. Never really had an

opinion, if it wasn't working for the mother, fair enough I thought.

1. Zombie plans. Absolutely brilliant idea.

1. Pantenne, never heard of it but I'll give it a try. I

thought it was a shampoo.

1. How many men are considered twats.

1. Never seen the word cunt written down so many times and used in conversations.

1. Never realized how many feisty intelligent women

there are out there and wish I met more like you in RL (sounds a bit arse-licky but true) as i don't like cars debating with men can be so boring.

Self-indulgent? Probably.

Bored out of my brains? Yes, I need to get out again
and participate in some sort of sporting activity.

Any more things men (or women) didn't know.

Or am I on my own in dadsnet?

I would prefer slaughtered goats than MIL coming to clean. The cleaning thing is a way that a woman is judged, so I forgive you for not getting it.

i like you boys! making me laugh
might come over for a chat some time

I'm a bit sad that you think the Feminist section is a dark corner where we mutter to ourselves. I think I'd welcome a few more men in there. The trouble is that the few who do visit are not Mumsnet regulars and don't tend to engage with the argument - it's all "What you women need to understand is......" and "You're just man-hating, dungaree-wearing lesbians, so you would think that". Understandably, these kind of opinions tend to get short shrift, although every contribution is discussed.

I actually think that you can't beat the Mumsnet feminism board for articulate debate of the wider issues affecting women and mothers in society. It's the best forum I've found for melding intellectual feminism with life as it really is lived and I've had my perspectives widened enormously from reading the posts in there. It's so frustrating when people (male and female) charge in with their received opinions and don't take the time to properly think about what's being said.

So come on over - everyone's welcome. But please take the time to read the threads properly and respond to what's actually being said.

(And we don't mind if you vomit on the table, as long as you don't leave it for your wife to clear up )

If you can work a Nintendo DS you can work a washing machine.

Not sure I'd trust to not to dye white shirts pink, but everything would definitely get clean.

that's what colour coded laundry bins are for trills. Only a problem if you discover that dc is colour blind.

I only wash new or proven-leaky-colour things separately, all other clothes go in at 40C and they are fine.

I'm a woman and I was surprised by number 4 when I joined MN. Am already dreading the arguments I might find myself starting during NCT classes!

I might need that Zombie plan, I'm in Sainsbury's, it is like Dawn of the Dead...

There is a Dadsnet?

"It's like you came over and vomited on the table" is a direct quote from one of the regulars there in response to one of my attempted contributions. Needless to say, this didn't exactly endear me to them or make more more inclined to join any future debates.

I didn't realise there were so many ...Lefties!

No wonder Gordon Brown spent so much time sniffing around here. Sometimes I think he posts!

I would avoid the feminists corner like the plague. Stay away, UQD

Once bitten...

A feminist on here tried to tell me that DH was a misogynist who would probably end up hitting me or worse because he had asked me if I would make him some work sandwiches and iron his shirt whilst he fixed some guttering. I did not know how to iron a work shirt so was asking for help/advice on ironing techniques but I got help/advice on facilitating outdated stereotypes of the woman's place in the house. An unexpected BONUS.

NOT facilitating, obviously...

Some posters can certainly be a bit feisty. New users had better watch out... takes a while to get used to how quickly something can kick off on here.

I had a baptism of fire with my first AIBU. My bottom lip was trembling by the end of it all, heh heh!

That's the good thing about the internet - that people of different kinds can mix and hear ideas. There certainly is a huge long way to go before men an women have fair lives on this planet or even equal rights under the law and if even one person is made to realise things are wrnog and shoul dbe changed so much the better (and I include in that rights for men too to more time with children particularly after divorce and more even paternity and maternity rights and obligations)

I wonder what you posted to elicit the vomit response. Must have been pretty ill-informed. Or you wandered into a particularly sensitive topic.

Or the other poster was quite melodramatic.

Either way, to write off feminism and feminists after such a trivial exchange seems extreme. Almost as if you already had your mind made up. Which might explain the reception you got.

but they are scarey in the feminist section. Its like AIBU only to be braved by those with strong consitution and passion. AIBU i can handle, the feminist section is a whole other matter.

Xenia-

Even though I am a bit of a lefty I agree with a lot you say about not leaving yourself financially vulnerable or reliant on someone. I'd hate to do that.

Really DidEinstein ?

That is a real shame. It's supposed to be a place where women can encourage each other to make a difference for other women. Maybe it's a flaw in feminism that makes people feel attacked if they don't know the theory etc. The section was born to meet the need of many of us who felt we needed more educating on political/ equality thought. I hope you can go back in and contribute to one of the threads there one day soon!

"No wonder Gordon Brown spent so much time sniffing around here. Sometimes I think he posts!"

OK, if you're going to come up with scary stuff like that, the least you could do is tell us who you think it is..

1. Greggs sausage rolls and Fruit Shoots are considered the work of the devil - yes only by mn chatteratti who feed maximus organic bread made by atrisans

1. Wohm and SAHM debate, - only really a mn biggie.in real life no one cares or much discusses it

1. Boden. Never ever heard of it before. certainly not til mn

1. Breast and bottle feeding. - only on mn is it so vociferously fought.in rl people just think feed your baby

1. Zombie plans. Absolutely no idea what this is

1. Pantenne -shampoo innit?made my scalp itchy

1. How many men are considered twats - only by the leave him/hes a twat/he's an abuser/he's controlling posse. me?i love men just not all at once,mind

1. Never seen the word cunt written down so many times and used in conversations. Really?where have you been working.

1. Never realized how many feisty intelligent women. aye thats true

The more extreme POVs, namely she who has been banned, Dittany, Xenia and even Scottish Mummy can assist in finding your own opinion. So whilst I am a SAHM listening to some of the opponents to this choice has made me more reassured about my own choice. Dittany helpfully made me completely flip my views, Lenin must be the most patient woman on the planet.

The feminist section is one of the more intelligent reads, on MN, for me. A plethora of information and informed opinion with biting wit and genuine compassion. Granted it's not the place to be idiotic or even mildly sexist, but without the section I think MN would be a much duller and vacuous place.