to think this teacher is a bit of a cowbag?

[SaintLauren]

My DD is 5 is they started to learn how to sing "Alouette" in school. My DH is french and does not like this song because of what it's about and my DD can understand the song too.

Today she told her teacher that her dad doesn't like her singing that song because of what it means.

And the teacher replied that - yes that was absolutely fine, do you like the song Ring Around The Rosie.

My DD said yes she loved that song and the teacher replied that it's a song about people dying from the plague.

Aibu to think this makes her a cowbag?

Sounds fine to me. She was just pointing out that songs have all sorts of meanings.

No she is just trying to get some perspective.

Perhaps if she'd taken the trouble to explain how people often used song to either express what they dare not speak (The old slave songs of the Deep South) or to help them cope with fears 'Ring A Rosie' it might have been better.

But teachers often don't take kindly to being pulled up on something publicly- as do many of us.

Well she's only being truthful... What is alouette about?

isn't it about napoleon?

What is Alhouette about? Remember singing it but my French has withered like the rest of me.

I've just googled it, about plucking feathers from a bird??
But then is plague a worse topic to sing about?

no not a 'cowbag' -
so what is allouette about?
je me plumerai la tete....
wtf - you see how these songs stick in your head for years?

Dear OP,
I have just googled the lyrics translation and yes I agree that if a child understands that you are singing about plucking a birds feathers, beak, eyes and heart it is very inappropriate. It is actually quite graphic and unlike ring a ring of roses would be quite difficult to interpret as a lovely song. A child of 5 would have no reason or need to know that "atishoo, atishoo we all fall down" refers to people dying (although there is some doubt about whether it was a plague song at all) but the Allouette song leave little to the imagination. I do think the teacher reacted in a way that was insensitive and if I were you I would speak to the head or the deputy about it.

It's about plucking the feathers off a lark! Larks were ( and still are in some areas) eaten and the song is about preparing them first. It's used to teach children the names of body parts as the feathers are plucked from wings, backs, legs etc.

no wonder i failed my french cse

My mum taught it to me when i was a child. I always remembered the lyrics but never ever knew what it was about. To think I've been singing about plucking a poor little lark all this time. (And Lark is one of my DC's nicknames!) Poor birdy.

I'm not sure I'd be bothered about the meaning of it. I don't care about an egg falling off a wall, or the plague, or babies falling out of cradles in trees. It's all nonsense rhymes.

She's not a cowbag.

Erm.... no because that is what it's about isn't it?

I don't think she's a cow bag either.

Yabu

That is what Ring a ring a Rosie's is about.

Ring around the Rosie?

Sorry, have never heard it be called that before.

No I don't think YABU, Alouette is pretty graphic, really.

I think the teacher was wrong. Or at least unnecessarily harsh. OP's DD is 5,not 15 and while some 5 year olds will take their favourite nursery rhyme being about the plague in their stride, not all of them will , on top of that a song about plucking larks is rather more graphic than Ring a Ring a Roses.
And to whoever said teachers do not like being pulled up in public - well,probably not,but as the grown up in the classroom they need to find a way of coping with it gracefully - good for children to see a positive model on how to cope when criticised or told you are wrong.

its 'a ring 'o ring 'o roses' and refers to the rash you get with the plague, or the 'pest' if you are watching The Bridge

oh and YABU, don't be so squeamish

Lucy Locket is about prostitutes, Oranges and Lemons about the churches passed on the way to be executed, Pop goes the weasel about pawnbrokers, Mary Mary about Queen Mary's barrenness and torture in tudor England, Ba Ba Black sheep about taxation and oppression, Humpty Dumpty was a lethal cannon, Ladybird, Ladybird about burning catholics and so on! Alouette pales into insignificance!!

There's plenty of graphic violence in nursery rhymes. The mice (bishops?) get their tails cut off, Humpty gets smashed, Jack sustains a serious head injury and the only available treatment is brown paper.