"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.

For me a more fitting one would be 'the mummies on the bus try to ignore people trying to make conversation by putting ear plugs in' but that wouldn't sound quite right.

I'm not big on talking to folk on public transport

Think it was a joke need ha

No I get it was a joke but I could sense that some parents would use that instead

I teach and when I work in nursery I never sing the verses with such stereotypical words. There are plenty of other verses to sing. Hate that song anyway.

So many mums and dads on the bus (not all of course) are swipe, swipe, swiping on there phones. It would be lovely to hear more communication and chatter from those who are permanently attached to their phones. Whatever the gender.

their phones not there. Sorry!

I run a baby/toddler singing session in a library and I always sing the children on the bus go chattter chatter chatter and the mummies say 'too much noise'.
Would not do use the 'daddy shoosh' version, too stereotypical and sexist and I don't think it would go down very well with the mummies/grannies (lynching emoticon).
My version may be viewed as ageist, but the toddlers have never objected (getting away with it emoticon).

I can remember when the mummies went 'yak yak yak' or even 'yakety yak'. And there were no daddies at all.
I would say 'chatter' is an improvement. I'd prefer 'chat chat chat'.

But then I believe words matter.

I always kind of saw Mumsnet as a place to 'chat'... If it's not, then what is it?

Mumsnet offers many things

Support, advice, questions answered, debate, discussions, chat, opinion polls just look at the list

Women, and as women are the majority that use this site it shows we are able to engage our brains with more than just having a general chit chat about the day

Chatting about nothing in particular is fine no one is saying there is anything wrong with that but it is not all that we do when we open our mouths and words come out

Enthusiasm I agree but the nursery rhyme doesn't say that's all women can do it says on that's particular bus journey those women were chattering. It doesn't say all women can do is chatter.thats why everyone needs to get over it to be honest.

oh the get over it line

Maybe to you it is not saying that but it isn't saying anything else is it

Yet the men are not chatting they are giving orders who are the men shushing exactly

A man is here and a man should be listened to .....

It is one example out of far too many that children through songs, stories, tv programs, adverts, films where the womens role is not seen as important, as an equal and plays into negative gender stereotypes

We could of course ignore this, and ignore all the others that we have been told are nothing to get our knickers in a twist about but thankfully some of us won't be silenced by fear of looking petty

Erm - isn't the shush, shush shush, for grannies trying to calm the babies???

Not in the version ds had and the one the op is taking about

But it's not giving orders. This is the point you can choose to see it like that or like a nurturing response to a crying baby! I don't see anything about men giving orders. If you look hard enough you see what you want. But just from this thread it clearly does not universally imply men are giving orders and women are stupidly banging on about periods and kittens. It's just a rhyme about that particular bus and its passengers .

enthusiam to me that's just an example of female insecurity. I've said it before upthread, but are we that insecure we cannot be seen to chatter? I accept the drip drip effect but I think this is taking it to extreme lengths. Aren't we allowed to be seen as human beings who chatter? Or do we always have to raise the bar? Are we allowed in songs as long as it's singing our praises? Mummy's earning a degree? Mummy's got heavy weight qualifications? Mummy's in the STEM field?

So now, I have to say that I use Mumsnet to have informal/ formal discussions? Why can't I just say 'chat'? Fwiw, I 'chat' to both men and women on here!

Women are generally more talkative then men (as studies have shown).... Hence why the rhyme has women as chattering rather than men. It's an innocent basic social observation. I don't see this tendency to be more talkative as in any way negative (quite the contrary in fact) so I don't see the issue. If men bonded more through things such as chattering (mindless or otherwise), there might be fewer lonely men out there.

In general, men and women have differences (clearly, as otherwise we wouldn't be able to categorise individuals into the two sexes!) - that's just life. I don't see why some feminists try to deny this in the name of equality. Being different doesn't mean men and women are not of equal value and worth.

Grays
Excellent post! Wtf is wrong in chattering (I.e talking about nothing of particular consequence) to others. It's healthy social interaction that helps build friendships. Just because it's not intellectual, or something men do as much, doesn't make it worthless... Perversely, those attempting to promote women's interests by saying they shouldn't be regarded as engaging in 'chattering' are disempowering women from just behaving naturally and healthily, because that distinguishing them from men (who tend to chatter less).... Hardly very feminist!

Buffy's joke about pontificate is actually qn excellent example about how many of the "PC gone" mad things become part of the culture

Person A "Let's insist on "pontificate, pontificate,pontificate"
Person B "OMG- you're not serious!"
Person A "Of course not- I was joking"
Person B " "No I get it was a joke but I could sense that some parents would use that instead""

Three weeks late, there's anExpress headline "Loony Lefty Feminist ForceTiny Tots........etc" And by the following year, everyone knows that feminists make their children sing "pontificate". And then some poor playgroup leader who has half remembered the whole thing tries to do what she thinks is the right thing. And thus "BaaBaa Rainbow Sheep" is born.......

Women of the world, you've fought for the right to vote and have equal pay, now reclaim and celebrate your right to chatter mindlessly to your friends from those who would seek to take this right from you, confident that in developing social capital through your interactions you are being a great example to your children, and especially to your less communicative partners!

Wheels on the bus is annoying. I don't like the mummies 'chattering' and DD told me it is not very nice of them to shush the baby .
So daddies chatter, mummies cuddle, baby says something like Look look look etc