(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Mumsnet is gloriously loopy, which is why even those of us who don’t have children sometimes find ourselves dragged in to their debates.

This week’s hot topic: Is saying that you hate children the equivalent of being racist?

Yes, that’s really something that someone said.

The thread started normally enough, with a parent posting a thread titled ‘AIBU [am I being unreasonable?] to ask why it’s acceptable to say that you hate kids?’


‘Prompted by a certain female comedien [sic] saying this (whom I love btw!)’ she writes, ‘it seems that it is the last taboo.



‘By all means say you are not a child-person, you don’t want kids etc but HATE them? You wouldn’t be able to say that about any other group of people (and kids are people), so why do people say it about children?’

Another user replied, writing:

‘Presumably she is allowed an opinion, or are the thought police amongst us now?

‘People hate many things, which I agree is an over use of the word hate, when they mean dislike. People hate cats, dogs, animals, mushrooms, sunshine, wet weather, other people. Why not children?’

And that’s when the comparison to racism happened. The original poster replied:

‘So if someone says they hate any racial group or sexual orientation, presumably that’s fine too?’

Astonishingly, people entertained this discussion rather than telling the poster to do one. Also, no one has jumped in with ‘children haven’t been systematically oppressed for centuries,’ weirdly.

‘Until it is a criminal offence or classed as a hate crime, people are at liberty to say they hate children if they so wish,’ wrote one user. ‘I agree in most cases it is a very strong aversion or dislike of, but they can choose the phrase they wish. It’s called free speech which we have in this country.’

‘In my mind saying I hate children is similar to saying “I hate Chinese people”,’ wrote another. ‘Tarring an entire group with stereotypes. Fwiw I know many many kids who are so much nicer and compassionate and less high maintenance than many adults.’

The debate is still rumbling on, with comments like ‘ageism’ and ‘discrimination’ being thrown around, as well as a nice side conversation about how some children do commit murders. You can read the entire thread (all 11 pages of it) here.

MORE: #MakeMotherhoodDiverse aims to draw attention to the many faces of motherhood

MORE: The UK’s most unusual baby names, according to Mumsnet

Advertisement Advertisement