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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have been taken aback by child's joke.

92 replies

Originalfoogirl · 17/12/2017 20:16

We were at a Santa trip thing today and the "elves" were going round asking children to tell jokes. One boy, about 4 years old stuck his hand up and told the following joke.

Why didn't the sack go to the toilet?
Because it didn't have a penis.

There followed stunned silence then that kind of "oh my gawd" laughter. The parents just smiled.

I'm no pearl clutcher, and I wasn't exactly shocked, but if my 4 year old had told that joke I would have been really embarrassed. I'm not sure who would tell a joke like that to such a small child, or be ok with it being repeated in public. Thoughts?

OP posts:
Marcine · 17/12/2017 20:52

You're upset that the parents didn't make a big fuss?

Ohyesiam · 17/12/2017 20:56

How do you know what the parents thought unless they discussed it?
Still unsure what it is you are posting about. That small kids do embarrassing things, or tell nonsensical jokes , or think genitals are funny, or...... What exactly?

juddyrockingcloggs · 17/12/2017 20:58

I don't understand your point OP?

What about the joke was inappropriate?

emsyj37 · 17/12/2017 20:58

'That sort of content'??? Do you mean a reference to wee, or use of the word penis?? Either way, YABU. It is a silly joke that has been made up by a 4yo child who (shock) has a penis and knows what it is called, and that wee comes out of it. You are pearl clutching, whether you care to admit it or not.

Afternooncatnap · 17/12/2017 20:58

The penis butter joke is well funny, I just texted it to dh

GoingIn · 17/12/2017 20:58

I think my DC would have come up with a similar joke. Anything to do with toilet stuff or bottoms/private parts is considered the height of humour by my 4 year old. At least he didn't take his trousers off and try to moon everyone.

PantPlot · 17/12/2017 21:00

It's just one of those daft things that kids come out with it. Not sure exactly what the parents were supposed to do?

I remember when, at a gathering of family and friends, my 8yo answered the joke "What's brown and sticky?" With

"Daddy's willy".

Original poster
Originalfoogirl · 17/12/2017 21:00

You're upset that the parents didn't make a big fuss?

I didn’t use the word upset, why take it to that level?

It wasn’t that they didn’t make a fuss, just that they didn’t do anything but sit and smile. Surely that would have been the ideal point to remind him that’s not particularly appropriate? Small boys may well find penis jokes funny, but the reaction from everyone else shows it was not quite the right time and place to tell a joke like that.

OP posts:
Original poster
Originalfoogirl · 17/12/2017 21:02

I think my DC would have come up with a similar joke
What would you have done if he had told it in that situation?

OP posts:
Floellabumbags · 17/12/2017 21:03

Penis butter!
Sweet baby cheeses, that's brilliant 🤣

emsyj37 · 17/12/2017 21:04

Perhaps they were ignoring it so as not to encourage him. It's not really any of your business how they parent their child. I fail to see how this affects you in any way at all.

curryforbreakfast · 17/12/2017 21:05

Small boys may well find penis jokes funny, but the reaction from everyone else shows it was not quite the right time and place to tell a joke like that

no it doesn't.

PantPlot · 17/12/2017 21:06

It's eminently sensible to not even flinch in that situation. All kids are different of course, but there are very many at that age who on getting ANY kind of reaction will suddenly become like a stuck record Grin

f83mx · 17/12/2017 21:07

Are you saying all the other parents there were shocked? I can't believe that.....

BelleSauv · 17/12/2017 21:08

My almost 4 year old says silly comments/jokes about wee and penises occasionally. If he does it in public I go a bit red and laugh. Maybe say something like; "thank you for that DC but I'm not sure if people want to hear that".

Should I be shouting at him? He'll learn modesty through social conditioning as we all do. He isn't going to turn out to be a flasher just because he knows the word for his genitalia. I think you need to relax a touch.

Youcanstayundermyumbrella · 17/12/2017 21:09

Oh my goodness, my four year old son is currently calling everyone he meets Bumface. He is obsessed with willies and bums and farting. It's tedious but he is totally with the crowd on this one. If he told that joke I'm not exactly sure what I'd do because context is all, but I might be relieved that he'd kept it to that.

Ikeptthemwithmebabe · 17/12/2017 21:09

I thought maybe there was a punchline (which I didn't get) that you were finding offensive!

I'd guess the reaction was maybe people trying to work out the punchline. We used to do that. Now we know of course the rude word is the funny thing.

Im surprised any parent is offended by toilet humour from a 4 year old. Absolutely the norm with my DC.

Original poster
Originalfoogirl · 17/12/2017 21:11

no it doesn't

So what does it show then?

Are you saying all the other parents there were shocked
You could have heard a pin drop in the place. The staff were looking at each other with pretty shocked looking faces, not sure what to do next.

OP posts:
Original poster
Originalfoogirl · 17/12/2017 21:13

"thank you for that DC but I'm not sure if people want to hear that"
That’s exactly the sort of thing I would have thought would happen.

And for the record, nowhere did I use the word offended.

OP posts:
HappenedForAReisling · 17/12/2017 21:14

About 20 years go I was listening to the Breakfast Show with Chris Evans and Carol McGiffin on my way to work. They were asking kids to phone in and tell a joke (what were they thinking?!).
They answer to one little boy and ask him to tell his joke.

Boy: How do you make a door scream?
CE: I don't know. How DO you make a door scream?
Boy: Pull its knob.

Stunned silence, hysterical laugh/scream from Carol and attempts to move on from CE.
I imagine that boy's mother was a trifle embarrassed.

PantPlot · 17/12/2017 21:14

The staff were looking at each other with pretty shocked looking faces, not sure what to do next

They must have had very sheltered lives.

juddyrockingcloggs · 17/12/2017 21:15

The staff were looking at each other with pretty shocked looking faces, not sure what to do next.

They were probably looking for a grip to give you.

titchy · 17/12/2017 21:16

Boy makes up willy joke. No-one gets it because, well he's 4 and 4 yo aren't renowned for their witty repartee - that's why the tumbleweed - because no one got the joke.

If he's said 'why did the grape turn yellow - because it was a cat' - there'd be an equally tumbleweedy response I'm sure.

It's just a willy joke - that's what kids do. It wasn't mean, it didn't hurt anyone's feelings, it wasn't nasty to anyone. He was trying to make people laugh. It was a nice thing to do basically. Not sure why you're being so sneery OP.

AnotherDunroamin · 17/12/2017 21:18

Agree with PPs that at that age a) anything about poo / bums / willies / farts is hilariously funny and b) they repeat whatever they hear. When my brother was about 6 he sometimes hung out with my friends who were much older, and one day when my parents had friends round for dinner they said something like "mmm... smell that fish" and he turned to me (aged 15) and said "close your legs!" So mortifying, but he had no idea what it meant - just repeating puerile teenage boys' humour. I still cringe when I think of it. The guests were Shock

Ikeptthemwithmebabe · 17/12/2017 21:18

HappenedForAReisling Grin

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