You can always tell some women are childless by the fact that they....

[NinaInCognito]

...get in the way of you when you are in the supermarket dragging around a pram, trolley and fiddly child and then they sneer down at you with their basket full of organic lettuce, baguettes and mini-tampons while your trolley is loaded with nappies, a giant pot of Sudocrem and enough chocolate bars to re-sink the Titanic.

You then have to manoever around them while they continue said sneering.

God you can tell what sort of evening I have had, can't you? And I am embarrassed to admit that I used to be one of those women. I apologise to all you mums out there unreservedly.

Now for chocolate bars and MN......

i never was, nor do i remember meeting them...

I was just trying to start something light-hearted. I live and work in central London and this happens to me quite a lot. You know I came back to mumsnet after some time thinking it would be a good place to chat with other mums and have a laugh about raising dcs. Never mind.

Nina - I had exactly that in waitrose today!

I agree - I always thought 'why don't people get a babysitter to go food shopping'. Now I know.

Although now I am highly judgemental about the woman I saw at the supermarket last week getting out of the car with a cigarrette and her young son... It was about 9pm and I huffed and blustered and told all my friends. I don't know which bit bothered me more (BTW I didn't have my DD with me at the time)

They don't have snot on their shoulders for a start

I was one of those childless women who thought I never wanted children. I found them loud and irritating (still do sometimes!).

Oh goodness me Nina, I do so know what you mean. I usually felt the irritated stares as I was unloading my huge trolley load of shopping in the converyer belt and trying to pay while keeping toddlers amused as 'they' chatted on mobile phone and neatly arrange said organic lettuce and bagguette while tutting under their breath that I didnt offer the the option of going before me.

whatever, nina, don't blame me for the fact that i don't think it was that amusing an OP.

you can maybe tell some women are childless by the way they are looking at your pile of nappies with outright envy in their eyes, because more than anything else in the world they dream of having a child. but you know, keep thinking they're all sneering at you, just because you used to do it to others...

you have to view them with a 'i know what's coming for you' look

you ladies must visit supermarkets populated by some very snotty people

I have honestly never experienced this

'tis all in your head

I confess pre children (and I never thought i wanted children either) I parked in a parent and child spot one evening and rolled eyes at woman who glared at me as she unpacked her shopping from trolley into car with baby and toddler in tow. I genuninely feel so ashamed of that now. And now I do the glaring..

I also used to think "why do people go shopping with kids?" I used to think that I would simply leave them at home with my DH. Also I used to get hacked off with kids in restaurants .

You live and learn!

I was one of those who thought 'You're on Maternity, find a better time to buy you're hair care/lip-liner than on my lunch break'.

Ha ha!

Now I know that 1pm is the earliest us mums have managed to get the baby, ourselves/everything together, what with naps/feeds/moods, ect.

FWIW, I'm extra nice to mothers with prams and buggies but I've now become the kind of person who says' excuse me' after I've knocked the annoying childless person in the way down.

God, and I am just here to make sure my posts are amusing for you, Aitch.

And if not, then feel free to flame away....

Have fake tan on, beautifully styled hair, nails not full of baby poo and money in their purse (which is not kept in a changing bag).

Blimey, why all the hostility to the OP? Leave her alone!

either childless, or they have kids who are old enough not to have to drag around a pram, trolley and fiddly child and are glad to have those days behind them [smug emoticon]. However, you can spot the Mum of older kids cos the tampons are super-plus extra and nappies are replaced by super strength perimenopausal night time sanitary towels!! AND we'll throw you supportive looks when your DCs are having tantrums, rather than look down our noses at you. Know exactly what you mean tho.

well, when i was childless i a) only rarely did a big shop, usually for hte purpose of entertaining b) when i did do such a shop, it was never at a time when a mummy probably would have been in there doing a shop..

And people wonder why newbies feel like Mumsnet is a cliquey members club.

Aitch, only a small proportion of people in a supermarket without children are barren women with a yearning for sprogs. What are yo getting your knockers in a twist for?

actually... just to keep things right... if i was hostile it was in response to hostility from nina, my first answer was truthful, if not the kind of 'laugh at the childless' bonhomie she was hoping for.

can't actually believe you're all so smug, tbh. ho ho ho, they'll learn etc. what a bloody bore, so many people out there desperate to have kids and you assume that anyone who looks at you twice or dares to not look like shit or buy organic lettuce is sneering. shame on you.

Thank you pgwithnumber3, was just thinking that myself. And thank you littlepeanut....

wtf is that supposed to mean pgwithnumber3? i haven't got a clue who nina is, nor do i care.