To be furious over 'ba ba spotty sheep'

[Littlesmiler]

As the title really! My DD started school nursery in September, and this past week, when she has been at home and singing nursery rhymes with us, she's been singing baa baa spotty sheep as opposed to black sheep.

We have always sang the 'black sheep' version as it's what myself and DP learned when we were little and as it is the 'proper' version. All the family sing the classic version also, as is traditional. So the only place that's singing this ridiculous version is school.

I just can't believe they're changing a kiddy nursery rhyme that's been around for god knows how long, as someone somewhere has deemed it inappropriate? I'd love to know why- as black sheep are an actual thing! Would it be the same if it was 'white sheep'? Probably not.

Just so annoyed, probably being irrational as I've had the implant out after 3 years and having my first visit from Mother Nature 🙈

AIBU to just want classic nursery rhymes to stay as the classic version??

I myself would be a bit uncomfortable singing about the black sheep.

But that's because of a political campaign of my home country....

Unless her teachers are also Swiss I don't understand their reasoning.

and doesn't happen

quite a rude post when at least 2 posters are telling you they had been told to vary lyrics at some point in a nursery/ward setting. Do you call people liars in RL just because you haven't experienced something?

Who.

Fucking.

Cares?

Here, black sheep campaign..

Kind of tainted the cute children's story about the black sheep... :/

YABVU to be "furious".
YABU to even care.

No one sensible would care.

Spider spider on the wall,
Have you got no sense at all?
Can't you see it's just been plastered?
Now you're stuck you stupid bastard

I get the 'furious'. The rage I feel when DS listens to the American version of Ring-a-ring of Roses knows no bounds. 'Ashes, ashes, we all fall down' aaaaaaargh

Man, I felt irritated just reading that

However guessing op doesn't like being called a liar.

glind love that version.

Jacob's sheep are spotty though.
And we all know where this thread is going to end up.

My DS came home the other day and told me that he's not allowed to use a black biro at school because it's racist! Now I have to buy him a bunch of red, blue and green biros.

Would they say that if it was white ink???

I think it's daft what's wrong with a Black sheep anyway?

The one that grates on me is the newer version of the Three Little Pigs, where each little pig in turn, instead of being eaten, merely runs to the next house where at the end they are saved because the third little pig built the house properly.

Moral of the story being never do anything properly because you can just barge in to somebody elses life who has done things properly

The "master" here is nothing to do with the slave trade. The rhyme dates from the days when one's master was ones boss and dame was a respectful term for his female counterpart. We still talk about a dog's master/mistress. That is all that it refers to and the subject is a black sheep and not a person. Black wool was and still is prized for its colour -- spinners still often keep a small flock of black sheep.
It is dangerous to retroactively read meanings into old rhymes, sayings etc, without regard for the historical context. Sensible affirmative action to avoid racism and offence is undermined by ridiculous politically correct rules introduced by the well meaning but ignorant

To be honest reading my post back I didn't mean it at all in a racist way. I should say my family has all kinds of backgrounds, from Canadian, Irish and African.. so in no way am I racist believe me op, as an advise for the real world. Don't ever give this as your excuse for not being racist. It makes you come a cross even more racist and condescending. It's a well known racist line used by racist to show they can't be racist because they are either related or friends with black or Asian person. Implying that they would know when they are being racist and love anyone who has joined their blood line or became friends or acquaintances with because of this they can't be racist.

Your family's background, if they we're not chosen by you does not imply you are not racist unless they are your partner or children or friends. However, you do get those who have got that one friend Ethnic minority friend and this give them the right to whitesplain. (An not saying you are white but just giving an example)

Am glad that baa baa spotty sheep was sorted out by those who spotted this thread. Baa

Probably just ringing the changes to make it interesting for the children. I've varied the lyrics to traditional songs in my class often based on fun suggestions from the children.

It's like adding an extra verse to row row row your boat ending "if you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream." It's not done in the name of political correctness, it's done because toddlers (like Tom Lehrer's satire of folk music fans) are of the opinion that ten verses of a bad song are better than one verse of a bad song.

"Do you call people liars in RL just because you haven't experienced something?"

No. but I sometimes do when they claim to have experienced something which has been a standard whinge of the right wing press since the late 1970s.............

www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/more-nursery-rhymes/

It says on here it is all about taxes and and the wool industry (I live in Suffolk and there are some big churches in small villages here, from the profits of wool, but not that many sheep ). The Highland clearances were all about getting sheep on the land and making more profit.

I expect black was pretty profitable, because it would not need much dying for dark wool cloth. Black is not a very easy colour to dye something that is creamy offwhite/grey and it would have faded and washed out easily.

Having said that, LOL at Spotty sheep

(although as an acne sufferer in my youth, maybe I should take offence?)

at Baya.

Are you also one of those people who gets all huffy when they use different tunes to the ones you're used to at your kids' school carol service?

Also, you do realise that nursery rhymes, like fairytales, are basically just folklore rhymes handed down verbally over centuries and will have had umpteen different versions over the years anyway? Nobody ever even wrote this stuff down until relatively recently; there aren't 'right' or 'wrong' versions.

Who is actually harmed by a child singing a different version of nursery rhyme to the one that you're used to? Nobody. Why get worked up about something so utterly harmless and trivial?

But it is usually rainbow sheep they complain about. Then they can add a bit about children being exposed to homosexual propaganda.........

It's not done in the name of political correctness, it's done because toddlers (like Tom Lehrer's satire of folk music fans) are of the opinion that ten verses of a bad song are better than one verse of a bad song.

Yep, that!

I hate the fact that nowadays everyone gets a present between every layer in Pass The Parcel. It's literally Political Correctness Gorn Mad. I am literally seething