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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

"Boobies" in nursery?

117 replies

Sat32 · 07/07/2015 11:17

The nursery that my 19 month old attends seems to think that it is acceptable to use the word boobies when telling my child to cover up. Apparently she likes to lift her top up and keeps showing her "boobies". I was horrified that they are sexualising her at such a young age when they could just as easily tell her that she needs to cover up. Does anyone else have this experience?

OP posts:

NickyEds · 07/07/2015 11:29

Is it the fact that they're telling her to keep her top down or the actual word "boobies" you're objecting to? Not sure how they're sexualising her?? I'm always having to tell my 18 month old to get his mits off my boobies.

Jedi1 · 07/07/2015 11:30

Is this like vulva / foof?! Do you want them to say mammary glands?

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 07/07/2015 11:31

Haha Nicky I'm the same, always telling DD to stop pulling at mummies boobies!

Itllbefiiiiiiiiine · 07/07/2015 11:31

My son was breastfed until he was 3. He loved having a 'booby'. He was not sexualising it.

ElizabethLemon · 07/07/2015 11:33

My 4yo has always called breasts boobs/boobies...

NickyEds · 07/07/2015 11:34

He's not bf! Hasn't been since he was six months old- they've just proved irresistable since I've been wearing vests in the hot weather. Not even sure what the AIBU is?

vvega · 07/07/2015 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

isupposeitsverynice · 07/07/2015 11:35

Is it the word boobies that's bothering you? I don't personally considered it to be an overly sexualised word, but if you did I could understand it. There is a noticeable dearth of non-sexualised words for female body parts, can't imagine why. I think you're reaching a bit to suggest they're sexualising her though. If it's really bothering you ask them to say chest instead, but personally I'd try and let it go.

MissJoMarch · 07/07/2015 11:35

I'm sorry OP but you need to unclench a lot bit.

Kids use the word boobies all the time and it certainly doesn't represent sexualisation.

RuralLifeIsntRubbish · 07/07/2015 11:35

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

GobblersKnob · 07/07/2015 11:37

More to the point, why can't she lift her top up? Do they also discourage little boys from showing their chests?

ApocalypseThen · 07/07/2015 11:38

19 month old children don't have boobies - it's a really ridiculous thing to say. And certainly there's no specific reason for tiny girls to keep their tops down in particular. Calling her little baby chest boobies does imply that there's a level of modesty and discretion required of tiny girls for reasons not shared by tiny boys, which would make ms raise at least one eyebrow.

Gruntfuttock · 07/07/2015 11:38

They should tell the child top cover up her chest. At 19 months she doesn't have "boobies".

AuntyMag10 · 07/07/2015 11:39

Fgs 'horrified' overused word on here. Yabu.

OurDearLeader · 07/07/2015 11:39

But this is adults right? Not children? I wouldn't like it either. Chest is appropriate at that age she doesn't have boobies.

diploddycus · 07/07/2015 11:39

YANBU. I wouldn't call a 19 month olds chest her boobies. "put your top down" would suffice.

This has nothing to do with breastfeeding or adult woman's breasts.

Teabagbeforemilk · 07/07/2015 11:39

I like the word boobies. Ds uses it. He asked what they were when I was getting changed one day. I told they are my boobies. He refers to his own boobies, dh boobies etc. dd was the same.

It is not a sexualising anything.

Horrified is very over the top

RoboticSealpup · 07/07/2015 11:40

Surely op's problem here is that small children don't have anything that could be construed as "boobies"? This reminds me of that thread a while ago where a mum was told to leave a swimming pool because her baby DD was just wearing a swim nappy and not covering her breasts upper body.

CheerfulYank · 07/07/2015 11:40

I don't find it necessarily sexual but it is an odd word choice! I'd say chest or even just "pull your shirt down over your tummy."

midnightvelvetPart2 · 07/07/2015 11:41

I think I know what you mean OP, in there's no need for them to use the word boobies when your DD does not have breasts & instead of making it about covering up in general they are making it about female parts that are widely considered to be sexual in nature. They are asking her to cover up a body part that she doesn't have yet because in the adult world breasts are for sex & later for feeding, but primarily for sex. So the implication is that she's being rude, when it can't possibly be the case at her age.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 07/07/2015 11:42

I can kind of see where you're coming from as young children don't have boobies. They have chests. I'm not sure if it's sexualisation but it's an unnecessary word to use in that context.

Etak15 · 07/07/2015 11:45

Please rural life I'm dying to know what the ketchup word is?!

Quinandthem · 07/07/2015 11:45

I tell my dd to put her belly away.

Agree she doesn't have boobs. Although she does like putting my bra on...

BertrandRussell · 07/07/2015 11:46

It's a) a ridiculous thing to call a 19 month old's chest "boobies" and b) a ridiculous thing to make a fuss about a 19 month old pulling their top up.

Volenflo · 07/07/2015 11:46

Sexualising?

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