"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.

Me.

Not this then?

Yes, those are the workers on their boat.

How nice does that water look.

Thanks to MN, I once gave a presentation at a conference called

"The Mummies on the Bus Study Astrophysics"

all about the plight of the trailing wife, often vv highly educated, who ends up very lonely, de-skilled and unemployed (often legally unemployable) because of male economic migration patterns.

I was technically legally unemployable kickass when we lived in Japan for a year whilst DP was doing a PostDoc - but I did find some employment teaching English on free-lance basis, and I also had the best year of my life.
But was it that sort of thing you covered? Did you really do that?

Yes - I'm a trailing spouse and couldn't do any work, even voluntary, when we first moved. Then I got a green card, a job, and started an MA. So I went to a grad. conference about the effects of globalisation on women & focused on the type fo visa I had been on. It's quite notorious, for various reasons, one of which is that the trailing spouse has only 4 things they're allowed to do, and 'breathing' is one of the 4.

Anyway - I was on here moaning about it all, when another trailing spouse said she went to an ex-pats toddler group, All the women were super high flyers who were left holding the baby after following their DH's job. So they say "the mummies on the bus study astro physics" and the name of my presentation was due to that.

Excellent!
See, plenty of places for this thread to go even in the last few pages!

I can't hear heeeeeey-o heeeeeey-o (as par intro of banana boat) without then going
Got to have a bowl of Kellogg's fruit and fibre

Hey mister Kellogg's man gimmie your banana, breakfast come and we want some fun

I loved that advert. :o

That takes me back.

Sounds like a fun breakfast

Easy Tiger Mum - I think it's been scientifically proven that women are indeed more likely to be social and talkative than men, hence our ability to know what the hell is going on ahem be in touch with our social circle. There are far more important feminist debates to pour your rage into than a nursery rhyme.

to know what the hell is going on

I run music classes called Music for Little People and do think about things like this, updating nursery rhymes for modern use. In my classes the babies go wah wah wah, the mummies shush them, so go shush shush shush. in the versions I know the Daddies said "Stop that noise" which I thought was horrible, so my Daddies are the safety monitors and say "Buckle up please" and we mime doing our seat belts on. I know you don't get seat belts on a public bus, but i thought it was a bit more of a positive message.

MilliesMum You are the voice of reason.

You are the voice of reason

Not really, you can use the stupid logic of the thread to argue that Mums in charge of the babies while the sensible men take the safety into their hands is sexist.

Because that's how utterly pathetic this is.

"really, you can use the stupid logic of the thread to argue that Mums in charge of the babies while the sensible men take the safety into their hands is sexist"

Bollocks.

Are mine the only ones who sang stuff like

The socks on the bus go stink stink stink
The bums on the bus go...

Bollocks.

belonging to the daddies on the bus?

I don't remember being sung the song as a child only :what shall we do with the drunken sailor.

I wonder what subliminal message of the world that gave me .

As a music teacher I do find it interesting how songs evolve. I lived in US for 5 years and because ring a roses had gone over there at the time of the plague, it's connotations with that weren't as topical so they are still singing about the ashes in the sea etc whereas we have sanitised it with cows in the meadow eating buttercups etc

You are the voice of reason That was supposed to be a joke.