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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Phuquocdreams · 17/12/2017 21:19

This thread is making me laugh.
Anyway, what should the parents have done? I think i probably would just give an embarrassed smile. Say, don't say penis? (I asked my 4 year old to stop saying butt today he then repeated it about 20 times in the next 10 mins until I ignored it completely ) Say, those jokes are only for home (except its too crap for home too and I'm a little wary about shaming just because he may have used a word for his bits)?

Somerford · 17/12/2017 21:22

I don't know what you want, OP. You came on here to ask if being "taken aback" by the joke is a proportionate emotional response. You've got loads of replies telling you it's not a big deal, you have posted several times minimising your emotional reaction and yet here you are having an argument about it all. It really doesn't warrant another second of your time, forget about it and move on with your life. It's Christmas for fucks sake.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 17/12/2017 21:22

I'm not being po faced I'm trying to work out what was so wrong with this joke that you felt that you needed to make a mn thread about it.

The only think I could find was that he said penis not willy.

If it's not that I really don't understand what was so bad you think it's inappropriate.

Also it has nothing to do with boy/girl I know a little girl who thinks poo/bottom/farts are hilarious

Original poster
Originalfoogirl · 17/12/2017 21:22

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.

That made me laugh.

OP posts:
bridgetoc · 17/12/2017 21:23

YABU....... Get a grip OP.

Marcine · 17/12/2017 21:23

Everyone was shocked because a 4 year old said penis?

If it was my child I probably wouldn't comment because I wouldn't want him to feel embarrassed about getting it wrong.

Ceto · 17/12/2017 21:26

If that had been my son, I'd have ignored it on the basis that making a fuss would be completely counter-productive. I may have suggested to him later when we were on our own that that's not really the sort of joke to make in outside the family, but even then I may well have taken the view that it was pointless blowing it out of proportion.

Kokapetl · 17/12/2017 21:26

My 4 year old makes up jokes like this that make no sense and that have words like poo or penis in. I suspect that children of that age think they're funny because of the "rude" words so laugh at these kind of jokes. Real jokes just go over their heads at that age.

VerticalBlinds · 17/12/2017 21:28

I assume it's the sack thing that's a bit urgh

Rather than the penis bit

AuntLydia · 17/12/2017 21:29

Quite honestly, the worst thing I did when my dd started 'hilariously' using the word penis at inopportune moments at that age, was to react to it. Kids smell fear, embarrassment and discomfort. The more attention you give this stuff, the more they do it. The parents could well have been frozen in embarrassment too rather than sitting all chilled out and happy at their kid's joke so you are wrong to assume they are 'ok with it'.

BelleSauv · 17/12/2017 21:29

I'm wondering if the sack element was due to being at a Santa experience. Talking about Santa's toy sack.

PenelopeChipShop · 17/12/2017 21:30

This is exactly the sort of joke my 5yo would make up. He finds poos, willies and bums so hilarious at the moment that he can’t even read the word ‘bottom’ (in a completely innocent context) without giggling. If he’d said that in public I think I would have made some sort of comment to the effect that we don’t want to hear that word in that context but I wouldn’t be calling a child psychologist.

MrsDilber · 17/12/2017 21:31

Yabu. He's 4.

Booboostwo · 17/12/2017 21:34

The only shocking thing in this thread is that your DD doesn't know what a penis is.

FireCracker2 · 17/12/2017 21:35

Of course it makes sense!
Why would a sack with no urinary system need to pee? It isn't funny but I get where he is coming from.

KimmySchmidt1 · 17/12/2017 21:39

Yes it's an awful joke.

iboughtsnowboots · 17/12/2017 21:40

I spent too many hours in video interviewing suites trying to get DC to talk about their sexual abuse using correct enough terminology that the CPS would accept the evidence. Large numbers of DC either don't know the correct words or are too embarrassed to use them and a twinkle, front bottom or widgey isn't good enough. At least this DC has been taught the right words.

GinnyWreckin · 17/12/2017 21:41

I get the joke.
“Why didn’t the (ball)sack go to the loo, because he didn’t have a penis”

He didn’t make it up. He was told that joke..

I think I’d watch that little boy.
Sounds like he’s been around older men who use slang....

It’s a red flag for me for child safety, and perhaps grooming for sexual abuse.

Imaginosity · 17/12/2017 21:42

Sack is slang for scrotum- that makes it sound like a joke he might have heard off a grown up - I doubt he knows the double meaning.

I'm not shocked by most of what children come out with as I have a 5 year old and an 8 year old but I would be a little embarrassed if my one of my DC's made a joke about 'sacks' in front of everyone - I'd privately laugh about it though.

BrownOwlknowsbest · 17/12/2017 21:44

While I grant that little ones do find bodily functions funny,there is also a perfectly clean possible explanation for the child's joke. I would guess he has heard an adult, probably a grandparent, talking about going to the toilet as 'spending a penny' and misheard what was said. So now perhaps the joke makes sense at least to the child.

BelleSauv · 17/12/2017 21:48

Yikes @GinnyWreckin that's a leap and a half!

He's at a Santa event. Santa has a sack. It's full of toys.

f83mx · 17/12/2017 21:51

GinnyWreckin - you can't be serious ....

Witchend · 17/12/2017 21:51
Grin That so reminds me of when dd1 and ds were that age and they'd say a random question and a even randomer answer and fall about laughing because it was "a joke". Then we'd laugh because it was so random and they'd be really proud that they'd made up a joke.

And if it had been one of mine saying that, then I'd totally have ignored it. Nothing makes talking about willies/poo/etc more attractive than having a parent horrified or making a thing about it.

GinnyWreckin · 17/12/2017 21:52

Not too much of a leap I’m afraid looking at the statistics of child sexual abuse.

I work in this field and would be aware of the flags more than a regular civilian.

It sounds off, because there’s something up.

Sometimes if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.

This child would be on a ‘watch and see’ list in future for me.

bridgetoc · 17/12/2017 21:52

@GinnyWreckin....... That is truly nuts!

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