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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To refuse to send my child to a pirate party

828 replies

Mashbocking1 · 08/02/2020 15:03

A nursery friend of my 4 yo DS is having a pirate themed birthday party. I’m planning to decline the invite as I don’t think it’s appropriate for little children, or anyone for that matter, to dress up as a pirate - it’s glorifying and sentimentalising criminal men who raped, robbed and murdered.

FFS, piracy used to carry the death penalty until recently! You wouldn’t let your child go to a Nazi themed party - I can’t see much difference!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
PixieDustt · 09/02/2020 23:04

Nah this is a wind up surely.
If not, your poor child. If you think a pirate is in appropriate I don't think there is much dressing up costumes you'll agree with. Make sure you pull him out of the school nativity dread to think what you'd say if he was given a role of a star etc.

nicenewdusters · 09/02/2020 23:06

What's a pirate's favourite drink?

Bacaaaaaaaardi

What do pirates wear at sea to keep warm?

A carrrrrrrrrrdigan

maddy68 · 09/02/2020 23:10

Dear god , get a grip. ! It's a party

MrsFezziwig · 09/02/2020 23:10

What with this thread and the Flightradar one, Mumsnet has today provided me with a solid 12 hours’ entertainment for the price of a phone charge. Happy days! obviously nothing useful has been achieved either but that’s by the by

nicenewdusters · 09/02/2020 23:10

Pixie - just imagine he was asked to dress as the inn keeper?! The OP would be horrified at her son dressing as a member of the oppressive property owning merchant class. What's more forcing a pregnant woman to sleep in a barn. Nurse, the smelling salts …..

ironicname · 09/02/2020 23:12

How do you feel about football parties? Plenty of footballers have been in trouble for all kinds of awful behaviour.

SunshineAngel · 09/02/2020 23:31

This thread has really cheered me up after a bad day. Thanks for that!

Please let your child go to the party!

doritosdip · 09/02/2020 23:31

This needs to go in classics.

Off the top of my head, the only dressing up themes that don't have a moral problem associated with it are emergency services, animals, insects and colours.

The popular kids dressing up themes - princesses, superheroes, fairies, unicorns, tv characters all have potential moral issues. When my son was 5, he was massively into Scooby Doo. Luckily he's now an adult who's never been caught trespassing, chasing "ghosts" or eating Scooby snacks

Nanalisa60 · 09/02/2020 23:43

This must be a wind up!!

AbsolutelySirius · 10/02/2020 00:05

Best laugh I’ve had all day aarrrggghh

YourWinter · 10/02/2020 00:30

Yesterday I was wandering around Aldi and a man with a daughter of about 6 was LOUDLY singing "...We'll go this way, that way, forwards and backwards, over the briny sea, a bottle of rum to warm my tum and that's the life for me"! I remember my now 33 year old learning that at nursery, age 3, to sing on their pirate-themed village carnival float.

It hasn't scarred her.

CharlottesPleb · 10/02/2020 00:45

If you can't see much of a difference between nazis and pirates then you need to do a bit of reading.

MilesEdgeworth · 10/02/2020 00:49

People are still taking this seriously?

Dhalandchips · 10/02/2020 00:59

No @YourWinter... It hasn't scaaaaaaaaared her!

Rache49 · 10/02/2020 01:20

It will be nothing more than Eye patches, fish Paste Sandwiches and inflatable parrots. Your child is going to learn more wrong things from you by your refusal to let them go to a little party with a theme than if they go and have a super time and have lovely memories. Chances are the parents will be there . Get over yourself. Folk are too easily offended these days.

Rache49 · 10/02/2020 01:26

OP has probably decided never to take her child to A Pantomime. So much potential to offend there!!!

Standrewsschool · 10/02/2020 01:32

Poor kid will never see a Tom and Jerry cartoon then - cat terrorising a mouse, who often retaliates by knocking him out with frying pans etc.

Janetino52 · 10/02/2020 01:35

Sorry, I think you are being unreasonable! Kids love parties no matter what the theme is!

Janetino52 · 10/02/2020 01:37

Plus I honestly don’t think they would know about what real pirates got up to!

Rache49 · 10/02/2020 01:46

Topbitchofthewitches
OP unclench. Love it!! She has made a rod for her own back now. Wait till he goes to fancy dress parties in his teens..... Oh maybe not!!

happybunny03 · 10/02/2020 03:27

Those type of pirates existed when south/Central America were invaded and exploited for their gold/other resources and slavery was a big trade. This equated to lots of rape, abuse and pillaging and I therefore personally think the non-pirates were just as bad, if not worse. At least the pirates had cool accents and dressed more fun...

Neome · 10/02/2020 03:48

You are taking the P

irate party round yours then

Paaaaargh taaaay

Bluerussian · 10/02/2020 03:52

Enjoy.

Marshmello · 10/02/2020 04:31

How would you explain to your child why they can't go?

This is an adult opinion and inappropriate. You know very well that the popular understanding of a generic 'pirate' is nothing like being a Nazi. So is your child not going to be allowed to know Peter Panasonic well?

You will damage your child by saddling them with this kind of attitude. And make them feel weird and sad and left out. Don't do it. Save this kind of debate until they're 15.

Marshmello · 10/02/2020 04:32

Peter Pan!!!!!!!! 😂😂 crazy autocorrect!!

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