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AIBU?

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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:
BeyondTheWall · 07/07/2015 11:48

I guess this is more to do with little girls having to cover their top halves (think of swimming costumes and bikinis even for little ones) whereas boys dont. why is she being told to cover her 'boobies'

(Btw, i have no issue with the word boobies and use it for my boys, so i'm not sure the word is neccessarily sexualising?)

RiverTam · 07/07/2015 11:48

Boobies is fine. Telling a toddler they have to pull their top down is ridiculous.

Original poster
Sat32 · 07/07/2015 11:48

The point for me is that she is a baby, she does not have boobies and i certainly dont think it is appropriate for her at this age to be taught to use this word, never mind to understand what it means. They could simply tell her to cover herself up or to cover her tummy. In fact I don't have any issues with the actual act, its what kids do but for her to pick up on this word (shes very quick to pick up words) and to be repeating it freely is unnecessary. For goodness sake she is a baby! There is a time and place for everything and surely 19months is not it!

OP posts:
Mulligrubs · 07/07/2015 11:48

This would not bother me. My DS is 20 months and likes pointing at body parts and sayinG them. He points at my breasts and I say "boobies!" so now when I ask him where his or DPs boobies are he points at his or DPs chest. All chests are boobies to him. Is that wrong? I didn't think so.

RuralLifeIsntRubbish · 07/07/2015 11:49

This reply has been withdrawn

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BeyondTheWall · 07/07/2015 11:49

Oops, meant to say, if a 19m old boys pulls up his top, is he told not to?

Original poster
Sat32 · 07/07/2015 11:50

Also why is there a need to draw attention to a specific body part which she does not yet have?

OP posts:
dannydyerismydad · 07/07/2015 11:54

What's wrong with nipples?

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 07/07/2015 11:54

I don't see why they're calling her chest "boobies" either, it should just be a chest, same as it would be for a little boy. And unless they're telling the boys to cover up their chests too, then they should stop getting at her for it. That's the inappropriate part - assuming that, because she's a female child, it's a problem at that age - it isn't.

However, I don't have any issue with the word "boobies" in itself - DS2 is 2.9 and thinks the word "boobies" is hilarious, but then he also thinks the word "buttum" (thanks, Minions!) is hilarious too. The way he says booooobies cracks me up too, so that's probably contributed. Grin

RuralLifeIsntRubbish · 07/07/2015 11:54

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WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 07/07/2015 11:58

Mine gets told to 'put her tummy away' before I tickle it.

Boobies is a bit Hmm for nursery

PotOfYoghurt · 07/07/2015 11:58

Pleeeeeeease Rural?! Grin

BertrandRussell · 07/07/2015 12:01

Is it TommyK, rural? Grin

I cannot imagine how anyone thinks that referring to a 19month old's chest as her boobies is even remotely OK. It's like people calling babies "sexy". Just ugh.

MewlingQuim · 07/07/2015 12:02

Do the nursery staff tell her "cover your boobies" or does she say that they tell her to cover her boobies?

My DD refers to her chest/nipples as boobies because that's what I call mine. If she came back from nursery saying she had been told to cover her boobies I would assume it was her choice of words, not theirs. DD likes to show off her chest yelling "look at my boobies" so I wouldn't be surprised if she got told it wasn't appropriate Hmm

I think it probably has less to do with sexualisation and more to do with little children learning that to drop their pants and wave their bums about etc. might well be hilarious but is best done in the privacy of their own homes Grin

GobblersKnob · 07/07/2015 12:04

Also want to know what the ketchup word is Grin

Dd (7) doesn't cover her top on the beach, she just wears surf shorts like her brother (well more precisely, her brothers old surf shorts Wink) if it is very hot, midday etc, then they both wear rash vests.

MrsKoala · 07/07/2015 12:10

I would have a problem with them telling a child to pull down their top. What harm are they doing?

I have no issue with the word boobies. We call the ds's chests their boobies as we do dh and mine. i thought it was a bit unisex. I don't see it as sexual.

brimfullofasha · 07/07/2015 12:23

I too would question what is wrong with her pulling her top up. Babies don't need to be 'discreet'. But if you accept they'd rather the children didn't do this then 'chest' is fine. Asking her to cover her 'boobies' implies it's something only girls need to do (and of course she doesn't have boobies).

NickyEds · 07/07/2015 12:24

If you have a problem with the word "boobies":
OP- "Hi Nursery staff we're calling her chest her chest/whatever, can you use this instead of boobies please?"

If you have a problem with her being told to cover up;
OP- "Hi Nursery staff is their a specific problem with her lifting her top up? It's just that at home we let her go without/pull it up"

I'm not still not getting the "horror"?? Or the sexualisation?

Notso · 07/07/2015 12:29

I'm guessing it's Tommy K or Marty Ketch.

Are they telling her to cover up in a playful way? DS3 always lifts up his top and I tell him to "put that tummy away" and give him a tickle or a pat on the tummy, he laughs his head off.

I find boobies a bit odd and I think I said chest when DD was little. She is 15 and calls them boobs now though. However I know lots of parents and children refer to breasts as boobs/boobies wrt to breast feeding so it is pretty common and harmless IMO.

barleyfieldsummer · 07/07/2015 12:35

Boobs or boobies is fine.

Saying it to a child who doesn't have them is not.

You wouldn't tell a toddler no one wants to see his/her pubic hair, would you?

titchy · 07/07/2015 12:36

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a 19 month old using the word boobies to refer to actual breasts. It's just a kids' word for a part of the body, like nose and elbow and willy.

I agree however that's it's quite inappropriate to refer to her boobies when clearly she doesn't have any, and that's what you should be having a word about.

ArmySal · 07/07/2015 12:37

I want to know what the sickly name is for tomato ketchup...
My niece, 3, always calls Spaghetti Bolognese ''Sketty Bollocks'', because her mum thinks it's so hilarious...

I don't like the word boobies really, but I suppose it's better than tits.

BertrandRussell · 07/07/2015 12:37

"However I know lots of parents and children refer to breasts as boobs/boobies wrt to breast feeding so it is pretty common and harmless IMO."

But a 19 month old doesn't have "boobies"

How about tits? Would it be all right to tell a 19 month old to cover her tits? Breasts? "Come on Ava, pull your top down and cover your breasts"

LaurieMarlow · 07/07/2015 12:46

It's just a word. I fail to see what all the fuss is about.

BeyondTheWall · 07/07/2015 12:51

My boys say they have little boobies, daddy's are a bit bigger (few too many pies, dh!) and mummy's are big and dangly (thanks kids Grin )

So long as noone is suggesting little boys only have nipples, yet little girls have boobies, i dont see the problem?