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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to feel uneasy about my son reading Enid Blyton books

767 replies

frances5 · 22/06/2007 22:10

My son wants me to read him a book called the "Wishing Chair", I have read two chapters of it and it has a pixie in it called "Chinky". To make it worst the drawing of "Chinky" shows an elf like creature with slitted eyes. However I think my son is totally and utter oblivous to this.

Admitally Enid Blyton lived 50 years ago when people didn't know better. But do you think I am making a mistake letting my son enjoy this book? He is even trying to read it himself that he is so desperate to know what happens next.

When my son chose this book I had no idea that it had a pixie in it called "Chinky" other wise I would have diverted him towards something like Ronald Dahl.

OP posts:
kimi · 23/06/2007 22:56

Owwwww get you , how posh

kimi · 23/06/2007 22:57

Ronshra, thats not a goth thats a teenager

MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 22:58

Nikki, I so want to tease you about the blonde thing but am resisting.

Ronshar, goths are not allowed to smile, I used to be a goth on thursday nite goth nite, then i reverted to being a indie chick for the rest of the week except mondays when i was a biker/rock chick them were the days!

ronshar · 23/06/2007 22:58

But surely if the posters from this thread are to be believed you are the posh one because you have a very intelligent child. You obviously dont allow him to read crap.

NikkiBFG · 23/06/2007 22:59

Awen - tease away...I'm deaf too so prob won't hear what you say!!!

lol!!!

ronshar · 23/06/2007 23:01

Actually that is my 7yr old dd. She just isnt allowed to wear make-up yet. or have piercings or wear black clothes. She just has a stinky attitude which I wasnt expecting for at least 4-5 years.

Quattrocento · 23/06/2007 23:01

Am conducting a survey of parents who forcefeed Enid Blyton to their children.

My question is:-

How many times a day do you give your children fruit shoots? Is it:

(a) Three times a day
(b) Three times a day but double the quantity when the month has an R in it
(c) Hourly, waking them up to do nighttime feeds of the purple flavour

tortoiseSHELL · 23/06/2007 23:03

Just seen that a cartoon Famous Five is being made, but the children are going to be called Cole, Dylan, Jo and Allie.

ronshar · 23/06/2007 23:05

What not Chantelle, Chardnay, Wayne or Dave.
Apologise if that offends any one.

NikkiBFG · 23/06/2007 23:06
MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 23:06

tsk Quatrro - we had this chat last nite remember .. you been drinking?

As you know my ds hasnt read a EB yet, but I wont stop him from doing so, nor will I force him too.

So tempted to be norty and say forget fruitshoots, I give him alcopops but someone might actually take that seriously!

MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 23:07

ronshar DP is Wayne I am Chelsea, DS is Dave and hamster is Chantelle

ronshar · 23/06/2007 23:08

Bugger

MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 23:10

best get last message deleted before dp sees he'll be asking me who wayne is, and dave and chantelle. He'll also think Chelsea is a dodgy name I am using for dodgy doings!

Quattrocento · 23/06/2007 23:10

Simply the best point was made by Bookwormmum - about whether or not steering away from particular writers was possible. That's a seriously good point.

But as parents we tend to help stock their bookcases, don't we? I mean of course we let them loose in bookshops and libraries etc but we will buy them certain books etc for birthdays and christmas. So we do have a steering role.

I made sure my dcs had all the staples (Alice, Winnie, E Nesbit, CS Lewis, etc etc) and let them fill the rest of the shelves. I read EB when I was little but didn't want to be instrumental in my children reading her.

kimi · 23/06/2007 23:11

He is very bright [sorry not meaning to boast] he really is, but DH1 and I have always let him be the judge of what he wants to read since he was old enough to decide for him self, obviously we do not let him read things that are very unsuitable but DS1 likes to question, Hawkins and Dawkins leave room for questions and only by asking questions do we learn.

If we do not let him explore all things then how will he learn things, I do not agree with Dawkins and DS1 and DS2 are both baptised in to my faith but I have to let them explore the other points of view even if I do not agree with them.

He reads the Beano but also the new scientist he understands a lot of thinks that some adults struggle with, we have never told him what words he can and can not use, but because he is smart he can see for him self that certain words are not acceptable we have never told him he can not swear, but he never has, saying the people who chose to use a swear word are the ones to thick to think up a real word.
I think what I am trying to sat [and not doing well saying it] is Yes we guild our chldren but we do not tell them who the have to be, I want them to work that out for them selfs, so I do not tell them what to read or not read and what to be offended by and what not to, they have to find that for themselfs.

NikkiBFG · 23/06/2007 23:14

Kimi - you need to be posting on the gifted and talented threads - New Scientist!

On this brainy note, I'm going to take my non PC blonde, deaf as post self to bed!

Nite all!

Mwah!

PS See you all for the midnight feast?? Jolly Good!!

SilentMinority · 23/06/2007 23:14

Speaking as one who's been directly affected by the word "chinky", using it probably won't ensure your kid joins the BNP, but what it often does is to give ammunition to bullys.

At school I remember anything having any link to china or chinese people being bastardised on the playground into an insult - The Goons "Ying-tong" song, Monty Python's "I like Chinese", even the Hong-Kong Phewy cartoon. I guess what I'm saying is that no matter how innocent and inoffensive something seems to be, kids can always create cruelty/bullying from nothing, even from a slitty-eye elf named "Chinky".

Been very impressed with the morality and empathy from some of the posters here.

Not sure why I'm posting this as it seems most people are entrenched, but scars from bullying always remains with you, no matter how old you are and felt I should give another perspective.

MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 23:15

Of course we have a steering role, and we also hope a voice of reason for them. It is good that you are so firm in what you are doing, if it works for you. Thing is for my family it doesnt work entirely like that. Doesnt mean that my ds will grow up to be racist/sexist and neither does it mean that yours will. We do the best we can with what we have got. This is a supportive site (I hope) how often are we setting ourselves against eachother over merely a small point, a difference in views.

MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 23:15

nite nikki xx

Quattrocento · 23/06/2007 23:16

Hi SM. Good to meet you. Sorry about ammunition for bullies.

Yes you are right that people are entrenched. I am entrenched but that is because I "know" that I am right on this one!!

kimi · 23/06/2007 23:19

SilentMinority, from your post I think we can see that it is the PEOPLE and not the words that are the problem.
Some people will find a way to turn something that is not in its self offensive and make it so by the context in which they use it, and if we let people like that see they can cause pain by doing do they will continue to do so.

I have been called names n my time and I try not to let it get to me as the people doing in are stupid and have no brain to work out a real argument so resort to name calling.

MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 23:21

Silent MInority, I am sorry that you experienced bullying at school. Is a horrible thing to be picked on for whatever reason. I was teased/bullied for having red hair. I have to say tho that I read EB and I never called a person a name because of the book, actually I have never called anyone a name because of the colour of their skin or what they look like. I also believe that my ds would not point his finger at someone in the street and call them a name because of what they look like. I have partaken in this thread because of the fact that I dont believe that I would censor my ds from reading EB but I believe that parenting and communication with your child is the best way to ensure they respect others regardless of colour/religion/cultural values.

ronshar · 23/06/2007 23:22

I think that there has been several different issues discussed. If I am correct in thinking no one has agreed that using words like "chinky" is ever justified. However should a book for example, be banned because it uses language from a different era.

MamaMaiasaura · 23/06/2007 23:23

Quattro - I had a lot of respect for you in terms of your posting last nite but it does irritate me when someone does the whoel 'I'm right, your wrong'. When someone is like that what is the point of discussing with them as they are not interesting in seeing the others view point. This thread has certainly made me think about the book ds reads and perhaps helped in the way that should he read something that may contain sexist attitudes, for example, it would be a good opener to discuss with him.