"The Mummies on the Bus go chatter, chatter chatter" Really?

[BespokeStereophonicVinyl]

So, I attend a regular nursery rhyme session at my local library and 'The Wheels on the Bus' now seems to comprise the above delight, together with the equally offensive "The Daddies on the bus go shush, shush, shush"

I'm really bristling at this example of everyday sexism. Yes, I am a mother, but I am also educated to Post Grad level and have a bunch of fairly heavyweight professional qualifications too. Prior to having DD, I held a senior position in a very male dominated field and really resent the implication that when a woman (who may or may not have children) speaks, it should be assumed that it is mere 'chatter'. I'm also really unhappy with the idea that a big manly man has to step in to shut up all these hysterically chattering women, otherwise where would the world be, eh?

AIBU to take this up with the library/council? I just don't want DD to face the same constant battle that I did, to be taken seriously in life just because she's a woman. I think we owe it to the next generation to challenge this trivialisation of women's opinions.

how nice for all these women that havent experienced the damage that years and years of casual sexism does.

Such bollocks.

I have no problem with it because it isn't sexism in my eyes. It just isn't.

I'm sure I will be told I'm just not open enough, or I'm just not educated enough on such matters to realise this is sexism but those type of responses just make me laugh because it is like mansplaining, a woman telling me I'm just not doing feminism the right way.

There is enough sexism out there for you to see, you don't need to go finding it in harmless nursery rhymes where you can even make up your own version.

There is a lot of every day sexism, it is rife, but imo it just isn't here.

Yep

Itsmine- do many rhyme time sessions or schools even say that rhyme nowadays?

We have dads nodding to sleep here lazy gits. I think mummies chattering is much better in terms of language development for their children!
Talking of sexist rhymes though I always made sure that in miss polly had a dolly that the doctor came with HER hat and HER bag and knocked on the door with a ratatatat.

^That implies the daddies are still the boss of the household, telling everyone to be quiet.

Does it?

I read it as the daddies being actively involved in childcare. Which is a good thing!^

This

Stop trying to find a problem with everything

"Thanks Grays i wasn't sure what I was being accused of there."

I was just pointing out that everybody - well, apart from a few BNP or UKIP types agree that cutting the racism out of children's songs is good idea, so why are people so keen to retain the sexism?

I was just pointing out that everybody - well, apart from a few BNP or UKIP types agree that cutting the racism out of children's songs is good idea, so why are people so keen to retain the sexism?

Because it isn't sexism! There is nothing sexist about saying mummies chat. It's not nasty or naughty. It's a daily occurrence

Do men chatter?
Do the daddies on the bus ever chatter in these songs?

Yes it's hard to 'retain the sexism' that isn't there.

They can if you want them too.

so why are people so keen to retain the sexism?

Nobody is saying they want to retain sexism. Lots of people are saying they don't believe it is sexism.

There are loads of versions though.

The variations I've done:
The wipers always go swish swash swish,
Then the horn or the driver beeps
Babies waahh
Children bounce
Mommies shush, chatter, natter or sigh
Daddies snore, shush, tut, chatter, or sigh
Grannies tut or knit

There's never been a grandad though.

Here Mummies go shush, shush, shush.
Grannies chatter.
Don't mention Daddies.

I just think it's a sweeping generalisation like all the rest.

Do men chatter?
Do the daddies on the bus ever chatter in these songs?

IME they certainly do but I've also sung talk, talk, talk instead of chatter to for Mums.

There's never been a grandad though

I've heard it - it's just not as common as Mum. Dad and GM as GDad's possibly as GDad's are a bit rare at toddler groups though not unknown.

I went to a baby group today (and we didn't do wheels on the bus) and I chattered with a few different people. It is how I would describe it. Is that wrong of me as a woman? Should I have had an in-depth conversations and not just chatted about cake and parking at nursery?

I'm also post grad (and then some) and you would be hard pushed to find someone who worked in a more make dominated environment than me at a senior management level.

No, the nursery rhyme doesn't offend me; they're just a nonsense. I will continue to teach my son what is appropriate and what isn't in the way of the world - wait until your little one starts school, you will have that much to be outraged about you will have to carefully pick your battles.

*male - love predictive text.

I love to chatter. I'm very good at it!

Sorry to everybody who hates it in a mum.

You know what, I just realized that on 'my bus' (the ones I sang about as a child and the one I sang about with my children) there were no daddies at all!! There were mummies, babies, drivers and grannies, but NO DADDIES WERE EVER ON MY BUS!!!

Maybe the daddies all had their own cars?

All the daddies were at work AcrossthePond.

I love to chatter. I'm very good at it!

Sorry to everybody who hates it in a mum

Yet another example of mothers always being the wrong - we can't even chatter on buses without someone finding fault with it .

Of course ThroughThick!! Why didn't i realize that myself? The daddies were working hard so the mummies and children could pay the bus fare!

In my house, The Wheels on the bus has Chavs threatening to stab you and drivers not allwoimg passengers to use thier passes before 930am.

DS is a baby... i wouldnt be singing this version to him if he was a toddler, but it keeps DP and I entertained