AIBU to get annoyed when people say little boys should 'man up'

[1lumpor2]

i get soooo when people say my DS should 'man up' or 'toughen up' (he's 3 months old), who wants a man who wont show his emotions?!

Well, at 3 months he's hardly a man! Of course he's going to show his emotions!

I think I would be looking at anyone who said that to my 21 month old son like this .

YANBU. These people are barking. Especially as your DS is a baby.

I would tell those people to "wise up!" if they are stupid enough to think a 3 months old baby has controle over their emotions.

Surely they are joking?

It's a stupid sexist saying, aimed at whatever age group.

Why sexist? If you're saying it to a boy surely it is equivalent to grow up or toughen up?

I understood it the same way as you Bubbaluv, but still not appliable to a 3 month old.

Personally I detest the phrase anyways, not too hard to see why, and for that alone it would merit a bit of frost. For three months, it's ridiculous!
For women, especially, I think the words are so demeaning.

The sentiment itself for older children- "stop crying, don't make a fuss" after the initial fussing over, I do agree with. They turn into teenagers who whimper at a school injection or scream at the sight of a wasp.

Bubbaluv- they mean it in the same way whether they are talking to a little boy or girl. They mean "get the strong manly characteristics you couldn't possibly get elsewhere". What's wrong with a simple "grow up"?

i agree with chaffinch, i have never heard it said to a little girl,only boys, definately sexist.

YANBU. Though there are lots of men who should.

I don't think anyone should be told to man up. Ugly phrase and mysoginistic too.

Horrible expression. YANBU.

Er... he is 3 months. Its not even worth being upset about.

Mind you I do think some little girls need to 'man up'. That 'little princess' thing that parents do with their girls because they are girls does annoy me. They are not being a princess they are mostly being an annoying manipulative little so-and-so and it would not be tolerated from a boy.

I don't think I have ever heard 'woman up'.

Surely they're either joking or barking?

Either way, I don't think you should let it bother you so much to be honest.

We tell our 3yr old dd to 'man up' when she is being whiney about something - obv not if she is hurt or anything though.

And we say the same to our son who is 13 mths old - again when he is whining for no apparent reason (and usually then giggling).

The comment is not sexist!!! I say it to my DH and he says it to me! It is just a turn of phrase which will probably drop out of use in a few years anyway to be replaced with something else!

As long as said in humour and with affection I don't have a problem with it.

Yanbu. I'd be pissed off if someone said it to my 4yo.

Same goes for 'little bruiser' .

Dh occasionally says this to ds 9 - I actually want to punch him hard when he does. Pisses me right off. I have explained in no uncertain terms why it does too!

At 3 months?!!!!

Not sure it means toughen up all the time
I say it to DH when hes slacking in responsibility towards the kids. Or complaining about cooking dinner

But to a baby?

At 3 months?!?!?!?!? YANBU. And I speak as someone who believes everyone should have their upper lip permanently stiffened with a steel plate.

Ok come on OP, how many people exactly have said this to your 3 month old? . I have never heard it said in real life in 39 years, you must know some odd people to have heard it more than once in 3 months.

Clearly ridiculous at 3mo and therefore clearly not really meant except in a joking way.
I won't put up with my boys (2 and 3yo) whining when they have minor tumbles and have no problem telling them to man-up. I expect them to grow into men, so I mean it quite literally.
I don't hink I'd say it to a girl because once the literal reference is removed then it does seem to imply that they should try to have characteristics that are male (and therefore better) which would feel a bit sexist I guess.
But saying it to a 3mo baby boy is not anything to get angry at and is not sexist imho.