"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.

Going back to my NI roots with 'wind your neck in'. You're being unreasonable and ridiculous. And I say this as someone with 'fairly hefty postgrad qualifications'

Dizzy that's so dark!! DD loves that one, they get the bubbles out...

There's a lion on the bus ouryve? That's not good. Are you sure it's not a lioness.

YANBU.

Down with sexism!

Aww usual are there no daddies to chat to? or lions?

Yesterday, a child (of undetermined sex) being called sexy was a feminist issue. God, you lot are unpredictable.

I'm not going to check but I wonder if it has anything to do with the first few posts and then, as Dylan said "the ones who jump on the wagn, just for a while 'cause they think it's in style.

I have an MSc and MA and don't see what it has to do with anything here.

yes, oh yes

YANBU this bullshit adds up over the years...

When we sing Wheels on the Bus, the babies go "waa waa waa," and then the mommies go "sh sh sh" because they're shushing the babies.

I get you, OP (although I do think FirstWeTakeManhattan has a point - but being generous, what I think you were trying to say is that no matter what else the mother is, be it high-powered professional or demon cake-baker or lovely friend, in this song she's just an empty-headed 'chatterer' who needs shutting up by the men).

It's the fact that 'chatter' (unlike 'chat') is negatively connotated as referring to meaningless and annoying talk, and it is a really bad message to have the women indulging in that 'chatter' and the men shutting them up.

I chatter on the bus and I am a mummy. Is having a chat on the bus a bad thing?

We also sing the children on the bus go up and down and the driver says don't do that. There are no dads on our bus. Next week at rhyme time I will look around to see if anyone is singing about post grad degrees or equal pay!

Won't someone stop to consider those poor disabled mice who were attacked whilst happily pottering around the farmhouse.

I'm finding the progress made around the subjecct of speckled frogs a very positive step in the right direction.

The non gender-specific parents on the bus have equal rights, equal rights equal rights - The non gender-specific parents on the bus have equal rights, all day long. And nights as well, don't forget about the nightshift workers.

Yes usual she's wasting time chatting to her child when she could be studying on the bus.

Yes, yes and yes OP! We are in a The (sexist, patriarchal and often misogynistic) Matrix, and as soon as you take the red pill, you see it, and you can unsee it. It's everywhere. And it becomes painful to see so many women complicit in their own oppression.

Take back your biscuits! UP THE WOMEN!

Ahh but I realise that I don't have a post graduate degree so I probably do just chatter as I'm not as intelligent or important as you.

This thread will 100% be a daily mail story soon about political correctness invading nursery Rhymes.

Yeah, of COURSE you're overthinking this. It's not like there's a long, sexist history of women being associated with frivolous, private 'chatter', while men weigh in only on weighty matters in the public sphere.

Hmm. I know this as 'babies on the bus go waa waa waa', 'mummies go shush shush shush'. I like to amend this to 'parents on the bus go shush shush shush'... YANBU

I am going to ask my teens tonight what they think the words to Wheels on the Bus are and double check they have not been unknowingly damaged by it all.

But chatter and chat are different words aren't they?

Chatter carries a negative connotation of meaningless talk -eg. the chattering classes.

while men weigh in only on weighty matters in the public sphere.

YEAH!
Or they go "Shhh shhh shh" for short.

I got grunted at, last week, Sparkling. High drama kerfuffle.