Baa baa sheep sheep..

[Dancingfairy]

Just noticed that my babies toy sings this. Aibu in thinking it's unnesaccery to avoid "black"?

[NeedMoreSleepOrSugar]

Dsis' children were taught "rainbow sheep".
My dc's nursery teaches black sheep, which I think is totally fine - the weird black isn't racist, nor is it being used as any kind of slur, stereotype or negative - it's just a description of the colour of the sheep's wool isn't it?

[UnicornRainbowColours]

How ridiculous, most of the lovely ladies who run my nanny charges toddler group are black ladies and they sing it no problems

[NeedMoreSleepOrSugar]

Word, not weird!

[UnicornRainbowColours]

Some breeds of sheep have a black head/face I’m assuming that’s where the song comes from. “The Scottish blackface”

[FissionChips]

What the name of the toy? I’d like to look it up.

[SleepingStandingUp]

Until they abolish black sheep for sheep with rainbow fleeces, its baa baa black sheep

[Dancingfairy]

Vtech little star activity table.

[Oysterbabe]

My toddler sings Baa Baa Beep Beep, maybe that would be better all round. Wooly robots.

[squishysquirmy]

We sing baa baa black sheep, rainbow sheep, pink sheep etc etc.... Sometimes it is good to vary the words a bit to stop you going mad with the break up the repetition.

So I don't see anything wrong with a rainbow sheep, but it is ridiculous to completely stop singing "black sheep". There is nothing racist about it, and I have never heard of anyone being actually offended by it.

[merrychristmasyafilthyanimal]

dons hard hat I think sheep sheep sounds quite nice. I really dislike the rainbow sheep version, there's no such thing as a rainbow sheep.

[chaser90210]

I have this table and have laughed at the ridiculousness of it op!

[squishysquirmy]

Thinking about it more, rainbow sheep doesn't scan properly so is a bit rubbish.

[Annwithnoe]

The song refers to the controversial wool tax. One for the master (crown), one for the dame (church)...
Wool from black sheep or mixed color wool didn’t bring as good a price, so left very little profit for the boy down the lane (farmer) who got none in the original version.
It has no connection with race whatsoever.

[toomuchfaster]

DD sings black sheep at nursery, but I was horrified she doesn't sing the end verse were everyone says thank you!

[Dancingfairy]

We've had it since Xmas and it only just register now as I tend to ignore annoying toys that sing constantly, but when I heard it I was like .

[meredintofpandiculation]

Some breeds of sheep have a black head/face I’m assuming that’s where the song comes from. There are quite a few wholly black individuals in various breeds so I imagine the song is referring to these, rather than to blackfaced but otherwise white sheep - no idea of the genetics behind the black individuals.

[Annwithnoe]

Rainbow sheep would have brought in lots of money ffs they don’t need a song about them. I’m feeling very cross now about the black sheep that can’t even have a song to itself. I may also be premenstrual

[Rebeccaslicker]

I remember the day I realised it was the same tune as "twinkle twinkle" and the ABC song.

Mind. Blown!!

[SleepingStandingUp]

Baa Baa sheep sheep us probably nice and easy to sing top but no one puts the black sheep in the corner and takes away his song. It's his wool dammit, he got shorn for it, he should get to sing about it

[bridgetreilly]

Black sheep

[KittysMyName]

FFS are we not allowed to say the word black now, for the colour black?

[SilverySurfer]

Bonkers.

[ShutYoFace]

FFS are we not allowed to say the word black now, for the colour black

You just did. Who do you think is stopping you?

[Oysterbabe]

DD sings black sheep at nursery, but I was horrified she doesn't sing the end verse were everyone says thank you!

What end verse?!

[FingersCrossedHard]

Isn't it

Thank you said the master
Thank you said the dame
Thank you said the little boy that lives down the lane