"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.

Our group sings 'the conductor on the bus says so that noise'.

We used to live in a multicultural area and had to sing 'baa baa pink sheep' instead of 'black sheep' so as not to offend anyone

My nieces nursery used to sing 'ba ba rainbow sheep' was that because of you op?

Summer, would a rainbow sheep a LGBT sheep then?

(My previous post should have been the conductor says stop that noise)

In ours it's the mummies who shh shh shh in response to the babies who cry waa waa waa. Seems to mirror real life.The daddies on the other hand read read read (because of course they wouldn't be looking after a child so are free as a bird to read a newspaper....

You should worry. Our infant school teach them a song for mother's day every year, which is deeply patronising and says things like "she may not have a degree but she's the best one for me" and lists mother's vital skills as making a nice tea and helping with homework. I don't think anyone actually complained to the school despite the many degree holding mums who were there.

prickly my toddler group wanted to sing baba rainbow sheep! My parents (who are black) actually find it way more offensive that it's been changed!

Can't be arsed to read the whole thread.

Understand there is a sale on grips at Poundland at the moment, get yourself down there OP.

But why don't have to use any definition of others?? I'm talking about being happy with my gender role , and allowing others to choose what's right for them. But there feels like pressure from louder feminists maybe that your not enlightened if you feel that way rather than it being that for some people it's not a problem. There isn't one right in this is there.
I do think people are looking for trivial shit to pounce on and when others are not bothered they've not woken up yet or something. It's really not an issue to loads of people . And doesn't stop you wanting equality for all of you feel that way.

cbigs I totally understand what you're saying.

Oh thank god umbongo I genuinely feel bemused sometimes. It's just different views . Each to their own etc. I just don't get the angry drive to quash everything that a lot of women are perfectly happy with surely if you want to you can and if you don't you don't . sing the rhyme don't sing it, identify with your gender or don't alcnowledge it etc .

cbigs I consider myself a feminist, but have been told I'm not on here many times for various reasons, such as choosing to remove my body hair, wear low cut tops, dressing to accentuate my curves... It's insane. And such a non issue in the grand scheme of things. I care about my daughter growing up in a world where she can be who she wants and do what the hell she likes without being laughed at or looked down on. Not what she decides to wear or do with her body.

Or sing in a fucking nursery rhyme!

Exactly!!! This! And if I felt this was what feminism was pushing for id identify as one where as quite honestly I worry about the impression people would have of me if I said I was a feminist out loud or in any more of a forceful way. It has a bad name which is awful! But true. I also want my kids boys and girls to be happy and equal but not hung up on irrelevant shit that really just does not matter .

Definitely. Things like this is the reason I would never admit to being a feminist in real life. I don't think they realise they are doing way more damage than good by looking for things to be offended by.

Yeah I agree. It is not something I want to affiliate myself with in an overt way which is just awful really. I don't know that there is a way forward for the feminism I believe in other than avoiding current feminism . Madness !

Please don't reject feminism because you disagree with a couple of people on here! Nobody says you have to agree with everybody.

And I am prepared to bet nobody ever said you couldn't be a feminist because you remove your body hair and wear low cut tops! And even if they did, why did you listen to whoever it was? There isn't a membership committee saying yes or no........

How has feminism ever done more damage than good?

Meanwhile Joe Mangel , Anthony Costa from Blue and a loud irritating woman discuss the lyrics of 'The Wheels On The Bus'...

It needs to happen derxa

loud irritating woman Will she chatter though, Sparkling ?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheels_on_the_Bus
No mention of chattering. That's official.

notso your first comment cracked me up!

The world is going mad.

derxa

Of course there isn't mention of the word Chatter, There are no set lyrics to four billion year old folk songs which make up the lyrics as they go along, massive amounts of this thread have never heard it with the words "chatter".

Sorry sorry i mean it's a conspiracy!

Definitely. Things like this is the reason I would never admit to being a feminist in real life

Exactly! There are so many things feminism needs to deal with. Women in parts of our country can't legally access all parts of family planning, the cost of childcare is a horrendous barrier to women working and shifts them into poverty, we still don't get paid the same as men for doing the same job. Around the world women are dreadfully oppressed, deprived of rights and equality and subject to terrible violence.

Yet reading Mumsnet you would think that the most important issues for feminism were berating nursery teaches for nursery rhymes or admin assistants (who are both normally women) for calling them Mrs instead of Ms.

It's embarrassing.

This thread is probably too long now for people to engage with it (I admit I have not RTFT) but for what it's worth:

Yes, these insidious cultural things matter. They really do and the fact a lot of people can't see the problem is a worry.

I lead baby and toddler singing and belong to a professional association and we do consider this in our practice. I sing the people on the bus go chatter chatter chatter. I also do 50:50 five little girls/boys in a flying saucer.

I do have a silly song about a daddy not being able to grow seeds his garden. Next time I do it I'll alternate different family members growing the seeds. Cos guess what? The dads in the group complained it was demeaning to men. (I take their point and changing it will actually make the song better)

If you don't like modern feminism surely its better to get involved and shape it?

Gender roles totally matter- I'd never tell you that you were wrong because you'd got too upset to understand me properly, but if we subscribe to this notion that women are innately more sensitive that's where we eventually get to: Men as rational decision makers, women as fainting at the drop of a hat a la 17thc fiction.