Has Mumsnet changed your life? Women's glossy mag would like to know...

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello. We've been asked by Andreina, who writes for a well-known women's glossy, to put up the following media request.

Do feel free to wax lyrical about the wonders of Mumsnet...

"Hi, I am putting together an article for a women's glossy magazine about how more and more women are choosing to share their lives online ? whether it?s venting their frustrations, confessing something they can?t even tell their friends, or just showing a side to themselves which they feel they can?t show in their everyday lives.

"I'd really like to talk to Mumsnet users about how sharing their lives with online friends has made a difference to their lives, about why you post, what you post, and what you get out of it.

"If you'd like to talk to me - you won't have to identify yourself if you don't want to ? or if you have any questions at all about the feature, please don't hesitate to contact me on [email protected], or call 020 8144 0244.

"Look forward to hearing from you! Andreina Cordani"

How much you paying? I'll say anything for the price of cheap cider.

I'm one of the more classy users.

Emailed.

50p and a pack of fags and I'll wax lyrical

OOh, Suwoo, how are you?
How is your new baby boy?

He is good thanks, just done a birth announcement

I do less housework

50p! I'll bare all as well!

Stopped me going mad with boredom and lack of people to talk to while unemployed. Or that's what I tell DP anyway.

Mumsnet gave me the confidence to kick out my abusive partner and live a happy life. I could not and would not have done it without the support, encouragement and occasional arse kicking of my friends on Mumsnet.

I couldn't speak to anyone irl about my horrible life. I am a confident and strong woman - how could I admit that the man I was living with put me on the floor regularly and spent every penny we had? Only here could I tell the full story, only here were the scales dragged from my eyes, only here were the heartwrenching tales of people whose Daddy had hit Mummy shoved down my throte hard enough to sink in and wake me up to the fact that I needed to leave.

Mumsnet has permenantly changed my life. For the better.

Mind you, I must admit that since I lost internet access at home, more housework gets done.

helping me right now - massively - holding my hand through a very scary experience which I can't tell my RL friends about.

I spend less time with the boring buggers that I am surrounded by, preferring the more salubrious company that I can keep here...

I'm not lonely anymore

Gave me the confidence to start my own business, which in turn has saved my sanity, taught me a lot, and given me a sense of pride

god yes. Don't think I would be here if it weren't for lovely lovely MNers.
And I would never have met my best friend.

Mumsnet has again and again supported me through moving on to adoption the babies we foster.

The sadness and grief I feel each and every time would be too overwhelming without the lovely Mners who get me through it.

Oh and lots of other lovely friends I hasten to add.

Mumsnet has completely saved me from becoming a total bore with my childless friends and colleagues - I can now share all my funny parenting stories on here instead with people who will appreciate them

It has stopped me going completely mad when i am home all day with only a toddler for company.

I'm new and find this place a bit overwhelming at times but I get stuck in with the rest of them.

I'm not a cheap date either ta

I think it has made me understand other people's parenting styles more. There is a thread currently about extended breastfeeding which I was very squeamish about before MN to be totally honest. Now I just wish I had stuck it out longer myself.

I post for a variety of reasons, because he laptop is on, because I am bored, need some adult company or simply because there are so many witty and entertaining posters on MN.

When I was a SAHM and very lonely, MN was a Godsend, really it was as it was often the only source of adult conversation I had.

I am more honest on MN than I'd ever be with (most of my) RL friends and it is always good to get advice from a wide range of women and men of all ages.

Mumsnet made me realise just how nasty my ex P was and me and the dc's have a better life since we spilt up.

I find MN has made me realise how lucky I am compared to what some posters go through and I tend to moan a lot less and count my blessings more.

I don't have a social life these days (although I do work) but TBH sitting down with MN in the evening is much funnier (and cheaper) than going down the pub

Mumsnet helped me through a horrendous time at work (bullying/sex discrim). I've met fabulous people here and wouldn't have breastfed as long or used cloth nappies otherwise. The support here is fabulous- its wonderful to know that feminism is alive and well, was beginning to feel a bit like an old fart about some ishoos but the sisterhood reaffirmed my ideas... Long life to you all, cheers

MN has helped me a lot I am a different person now .
I have confidence and I am much more happier since finding MN I know it sounds odd but I feel like I have a massive group of friends who will be there for me no matter what and they wont sit and bitch after I've gone hopefully like some rl friends do .

It is thanks to MN that I am BF ,that my house is sort of tidy and I have taught myself to cook .

I first heard of menu planning on mumsnet.

No one in rl who knows me in the town where I now live, has a clue that I once lived 5 years with an abusive bully and left with practically only what I stood up in. Here I can be one of those supporting and arse kicking members of the 'I did it and survived' club.

mn has widened my horizons, in a way that makes me much more likely to think about the "unseen" bits of someone's life - the bits that aren't obvious. it's made me realise that the kid having a "tantrum" in the supermarket may have sn of some sort; that the mum shouting at her toddler may have just been left by her dh; that I have things in common (running, love of dogs) with people who may (shock horror) read a different newspaper to me and vote differently (I don't even know if they do - it doesn't matter); that, thankfully, there is a huge body of people who abhorr racism and homophobia with real passion.

Like someone else said it has made me feel appreciative for my (less than perfect but not bad in the scheme of things) lot.

It also eats too much time.