"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.

No 'chattering' is certainly not allowed Sparking. How dare you ask? Y'see men don't get "accused" of doing it, that's why.

Didn't you know that were all interchangeable? You sound as if you might be respectful of gender differences? I should hope not..Understand this, we're born androgynous and patriarchal society (via its nursery rhymes) imposes gender roles on us all. The fact that gender differences have been found in every culture, even across species, is irrelevant because I'm offended by it ..

Sparkling I think Anthony Costa would get too carried away doing the actions...

Yes grays exactly this. If you look hard enough you'll see what you want. It gets so waring . I too chatter shit and have no idea why this is a problem or it's sexist. We should celebrate difference as much as equality .

So can i accuse you all of being sexist in here? Since you seem to all assume posters are female?

Or is cos it's mumsnet?

I think they could have a chatter/natter about this on Loose Women maybe?

It was 'nattering' i was asking about olivia.

Oh god TWS you're so right! This is going to be taken out of context now as Right-on Mothers Ban Wheels on the Bus Scandal

I'm going to save this thread to link to the next time somebody says they don't post on the feminist boards because feminists are all so rude and nasty and dismissive and cliquey! And bullying and ganging up and all those other delightful accusations.

I never said feminists were rude nasty or cliquey.

Just some look for problems where they don't exist and then make a massive hoo hah over it when others don't. They then accuse the people who don't of being anti feminist. And yes that did happen

Sparkiling and Alas. I was being sarcastic towards others.. .Sorry if I didn't make that clear?

have you been told you're talking shite, to go away - find another thread and called a troll yet then Bertrand?

Is this thread still actually going really ?!

There was rather more to it than that, Olivia. As you well know. But we wouldn't want to turn this into a TAAT, would we?

pogmella you're thinking too deeply into the example, I just wanted to say that 'having a chat' isn't seen as negative but 'chattering' is despite it only being the verb of the infinitive like drinking is to having a drink. Perhaps to avoid confusion I should have said eating and having something to eat to avoid confusion.

You're right though it was a poor example

I am going to save this thread as an example of Mumsnet at it's most Bonkers'.

So glad I have FWR hidden if this is a little taste of it.

Of course Grays, I was being slightly mischievous to show that language is a bit more socially layered than simple infinitives and conjugations (and I'd very much identify as a drinker, for what its worth!)

My own grasp of language this morning is bloody terrible, I wanted to avoid confusion didn't you know - as if I didn't say it enough times.

Of course, how silly of me, that was different. I was asking for it.

Grays I promise I'm not confused!

Is anyone else imginaing an irate mother storming into the school ranting about sexism because a teacher dared to call their child a charter box

Chatter*

Only read the op.

YANBU op. Of course, generally, women don't chatter more than men.

I mean, it's not as if there are forums full of chattering women anywhere are there? With very little in the way of male equivalents.

Oh and as there seems to be a disagreement about the terms 'chat' and 'chatter' - the version I learned was 'the mummies on the bus go chat, chat, chat' - that's what I would sing anyway.

It's not that chatting, or chattering, is in itself actually bad. It's the habitual slotting of the genders into different roles that lean towards the trivial for women and the controlling/in charge for men. As one incidence it will not have a huge impact. It's the mounting up of millions of incidents like this over a lifetime that leaves us with deep subliminal assumptions about gender.

Imagine the song said "the black lady on the bus goes mop, mop, mop."

Now, there is nothing wrong with having a job as a bus cleaner, and it is definitely true that many black women have jobs as cleaners. So it's "not racist", right? because it happens?

The point is, reinforcing it as a stereotype instead of questioning it and doing it differently sends signals that get embedded and affect our deeply assumed, often unconscious expectations.