To be surprised when my DD was being taught about gravity today

[BLEEPyouYOUbleepingBLEEP]

Her teacher said that 'Us ladies would love the moon, because we wouldn't weigh anything on it'

I asked my DD, who's 8, why men and boys wouldn't like weighing nothing, and she said they don't have to worry about how much they weigh! Starting the propaganda early then

[Feenie]

That's so bad!

[madlentileater]

Oh dear.
not much you can do, though, any comment would put you in humourless feminist territory and then they will just ignore more important things you have to say.

[TheFallenMadonna]

We certainly would weigh something on the moon. About one eighth of our weight on Earth.

Tut.

[victoriascrumptious]

We like the moon, coz it is close to uz, we like the moooooon, but not as much as a spoon

[TheFallenMadonna]

Oh, and tut at the bad feminism too, of course...

[HumphreyCobbler]

Well it isn't an ideal comment, but these things do slip out.

[TheFallenMadonna]

Oh, I do make the losing weight comment to (non gender specific, but still reinforcing body stereotypes etc etc) - to make the point about the difference between mass and weight.

[charitygirl]

God, I hate that! I don't think these things should slip out when teaching to be honest.

rages

[Jux]

I thought you were going to say that the teacher had said that gravity pushed you down like dd's teacher did, and was expecting to see someone saying, but yes, that is how it is understood nowadays after new data etc.

Your problem is pretty serious too. Boys worry about how much they weigh too though. DH is constantly going on about his fat knees.

[DebiTheScot]

That's shocking I'm a physics teacher and would never say anything like that when I'm doing gravity.

And (digressing slightly) how come if they're taught it at 8 they act like they've never heard of it when we teach it at 12??

[HumphreyCobbler]

Yes, teachers SHOULDN'T say stuff like that, but they have to do a lot of talking and sometimes something distracts you and you say something really ridiculous.

You should probably have her fired.

[pointydoug]

What a stoopid comment.

That's exactly the sort of silly girly comment that sets my teeth on edge.

[BLEEPyouYOUbleepingBLEEP]

Lmao @ Victoria

I'm not a raving feminist or anything, but DD did say last year that she was worried cos she thought her legs were too fat, even though there's not an ounce of fat on her. She couldn't say where she got the idea from, so I presume it's just something general that's at school.

It's not something I'd ever go to the teacher with, my DD was laughing when she said it, so didn't take it too seriously, but it must shape what she thinks should be important.

[southeastastra]

well it is true, most women are obsessed with their weight

[curiositykilled]

That is pretty terrible!

[SquirrelTrap]

As if it is 'weight' that is the obsession. If you were obese on earth you would still look obese on the moon, despite the fact you were 1/8th of the weight.

Appalling teaching of stereotyping to young impressionable children

[Jux]

I'm far more obsessed with my mass, actually.

[BLEEPyouYOUbleepingBLEEP]

Me too Jux, I'm 26 wks preg and just starting to get my very own gravitational pull (mostly pulling in choc chip cookies )

[beaniesinthebucketagain]

id be quite disappointed if my dd came home and said that, i could see it a funny comment in a class for older children 15 + would have got a titter and the teacher a cool label but 8 is too young!