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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

I would like to get rid of 'larger families' and 'one-child families' sections

74 replies

MascaraOHara · 05/11/2008 20:54

surely any issue raised in either of these could be raised under 'Parenting' or whatever it's called..

or maybe there should be a '2.4' board? that could pick up all those who don't fit into 'Lone Parents', 'larger' or '1 child'

Whilst I think there are issues that are specific to Lone Parents that couples don't face, I really just don't get splitting up the parenting aspect... surely either your a parent or your not, does it really matter if you have 1 or 15 children?

OP posts:
TheGoat · 05/11/2008 22:09

oh can we rename the larger families board 'the feckin' fecund'

Original poster
MascaraOHara · 05/11/2008 22:10

interesting to see there is so much support for them when anytime I dip into a '1 child' thread it sems to be filled with bickering about whether or not they should be there/who does and doesn't have a right to post.

seems very devisive and yet that's not the messga ebening given here.

I'm sure that there are seperate issues faced by those with a larger fmaily tbh.

OP posts:
Bubble99 · 05/11/2008 22:10

Feckin' fecund feckers.

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 05/11/2008 22:10

I would like to keep larger families, one child families, lone parents, chicken keepers and all the other niche threads.

My best friend is a librarian and tells me that the secret of successful data retrieval is to keep it in small and manageable chunks. Ergo, we're more likely to find our 'worried about my six year old only child dressing herself after swimming' thread if it's in the small and perfectly proportioned 'one child family' file than if it's in the vast compendium of 'parenting'.

stitch · 05/11/2008 22:11

cd, with dc3, i may yet end up there!
sometimes she scares me.

frasersmummy · 05/11/2008 22:11

stitch.. I have an only child and he dresses himself and helps to pack his nursery bag...at age 3

If you were slated for doing this then I dread to think how lazy those mothers would have thought I was ..

TheGoat · 05/11/2008 22:11

feckin' feckless fecund feckers and thier fecing fecundity

Original poster
MascaraOHara · 05/11/2008 22:12

what's the difference between having an only baby and an only child.. surely a baby is a child, just a particuarly young one [simpleton emoticon]

OP posts:
avaTsar · 05/11/2008 22:12

I wouldn't mind a Feckin Fecund tshirt.

Then I could honestly say 'Big family? I've got the Feckin tshirt mate'

Saturn74 · 05/11/2008 22:12

re the dressing issue.
DS1 (12) still sometimes has to be reminded by DS2 that he has got his hoodie on backwards.

Otherwise he wouldn't realise until he put his hood up over his face and walked into a wall.

Perhaps we should have a section for parents of dyslexic/dyspraxic children who are too busy trying to think up rhymes for 'quantum of solace' to realise they have their shoes on the wrong feet.

although maybe I'd have that whole board to myself?

cupsoftea · 05/11/2008 22:13

Somethings do concern larger families & other one child families - I'd like to keep these areas

stitch · 05/11/2008 22:14

humphrey, what about mothers who only realise their t shirt, that they have been wearing all day long, is on inside out, whilst walkin g to school?

CountessDracula · 05/11/2008 22:14

ergo
children are just small adults
so why all the chitter chatter and angst about them?

Just give them some wotsits and a can of coke and come and talk about more important things (I refer you to my earlier post)

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 05/11/2008 22:14

Hmmm, I quite like can't see feckin fecund feckers going down a storm with the Topic police at MNHQ somehow...

TheGoat · 05/11/2008 22:16

aw helen you guys ruin all my great ideas. i am still sulking over 'shallow shite' being rejected for sleb twaddle

Saturn74 · 05/11/2008 22:16
TheGoat · 05/11/2008 22:17

i need to go and work for a big sweary red top.

stitch · 05/11/2008 22:18

mascara, an example of what went on in our house.
ds1 needed to do his reading. ds2 would climb all over, and try to pull his readingbook. dc3 would be busy screaming in the background. me, i would be a frazzled wreck, eventually, nothing would be done on the reading front, but i would somehow get them to bed, fed and clean
the only dc,otoh of the smae age as ds1, shot through thte reading levels, because their parent would not be so frazzled by demands of other children to be fed cleaned, etc etc. they managed to have alovely calm environment in which to learn.

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 05/11/2008 22:18

Yeah, TheGoat, but maybe we have a special pinboard at MNHQ for your, er, more colourful suggestions

stitch · 05/11/2008 22:18

lol

TheGoat · 05/11/2008 22:20

hurrah!

Bubble99 · 05/11/2008 22:21

Oooh yes, the neglect definitely increases.

Enough photos of DS1 to paper walls. Not the same for DS4, poor little chap, I hope he doesn't ask to see any when he's older.

CountessDracula · 05/11/2008 22:22

How about a bovidae family board?

MaureenMLove · 05/11/2008 22:23

PMSL @ hoodie on backwards, HC! I love you!

Anyway, what was I going to add.. Oh yes! I have nothing constructive to say to specificly large family threads, so I hide the topic. I have lots to say on Onlies, so I don't hide it. There are actually a couple of very specific Only threads on here tonight and I can contribute and tbh, much as I love you all, if you haven't got an only, you wouldn't be able to empathise. That doesn't mean you can contribute, because everyones opinions are valid and welcome imho, but there are issues that are soley for 'Only' parents.... What was my point again... Oh yes, hide the thread if you don't want to see it. It may not interest you, but for some people, I think it could prove quite helpful.

Surfermum · 05/11/2008 22:28

Yes, of course every mum has had just one child at some point. But there's a difference between those who have their "first" and those who have their "only".

From what I've read, and I haven't read every thread, there was dissent about whether there should be a separate section for "onlies" and some people were quite rude about it and I didn't see any need for it.

IMO when people were "celebrating" their life with an "only" and talking about their perception of life with more than one child, I think they were just talking about how they thought THEIR life would be like rather than having a dig at those who have larger families. But it wasn't taken that way.

I don't see what harm it does to have the section if it's helpful and supportive to those who are chatting on the threads. And I really don't understand why those who don't like it don't just ignore it or hide it.