vicky, I've been on 'ere since it was all fields. I'm talking 2004. There is NO WAY MN could ever be how it was back then, given that there are tens of thousands on here, now, not a few thousand, as back then. We sort of knew each other!
MN is in fact, now, a political force. Politicians and hacks quote us. Our opinion is sought. Most people have at least heard of MN if not recognising the term 'Mumsnetter' as a potential 😉 insult.
It's still amazingly supportive, but way more critical than in was. And so it needed to be, separating itself from what was seen as Netmums ('Net- huns') 'Yor bubz, yor rulz' twattery.
But you have to examine what you're about to post, on which topic, and what the general tone of responses are. There are bitch-gurl gangs, tho MNTowers are far better at shutting them down, these days.
I've been annihilated on here; yet posted much the same a month or two later to much more sympathetic responses! I was in the first instance a bit upset, but soon recognised some IDs, cropping up again and again, as that little bitch you rightly hated, aged 15... but she married Darryl, he cheated on her, but she's 'almost' shift lead at Iceland - aged 38 😂
Apologies to nice shift leaders at Iceland.
Enter at your peril, be prepared for a savaging, but be open to support, understanding, and some hard talking you might need to hear.
Welcome.