To think sister brought this on herself encouraging bullying?

[SquishyBones]

Niece goes to swimming lessons with her friend. The classes are split by ability so you have the dolphins, guppies, tadpoles, plankton and bacteria etc

Obviously swimming lessons were called off when lockdown started but the friends have been talking about them starting up again. Apparently sister received a message off friends mum saying that niece had been bullying her DD over WhatsApp saying she will be back in bacteria as she was always nearly drowning in guppies. This has put the friend off going back as she’s worried about being stuck with the babies and toddlers.

Sister has “told off” niece but I’ve heard her encouraging this shit in the past!! Saying that the girl shouldn’t be in guppies as it’s too advanced for her and she’ll never get into Dolphins like Niece. Obviously niece has picked up on this. I told sister that I didn’t think it was fair for Niece to be told off when she’s only repeating what she herself has been saying! Sister now has a face in with me so next it will be all over the family that I’ve “started on her”. WIBU?? Should I just not have said anything?? This isn’t the only thing she encourages this attitude to either btw

No I would’ve said something too, I can’t abide bullying (just seen it and said something on another thread and got called a sock puppet 🙄) I think I’d always have to step in when bullying is involved. Has she actually told her daughter off or just said she did to the other mum?

Poor niece. It certainly sounds like she was just repeating her mums opinion rather than bullying, but not nice for her friend to hear that as could knock her confidence. How old are these girls?

Your sil needs to learn to keep her opinions to herself and not drag her dd into it in future. It's not fair on her. Is she the competitive sort?

They refer to children in a certain swimming level as bacteria???

Well, I...

Plankton? Bacteria?

Back in the Bacteria? Seriously?
How old is the Dolphin? Should she be using WhatsApp?

I’m going to go and make a coffee.

I'm sorry, but bacteria? 😅

Sorry I'm just stuck on children being bacteria or plankton.

Its learnt behaviour from someone your niece looks up to and respects. So yes I would have said somethings too.

BTW, what horrible names for the different classes, surely they could have thought of something better than bacteria.

How is that even bullying? Wow.

A children's swimming class called "bacteria"?? Do you live under a bridge OP?

I assume the 'unusual' class names have been changed in case it's outing?

I'd be more worried about being a tadpole. Don't they just mooch about in a big huddle, eat each other and then turn into frogs?

Is there a class called pond-life?

YANBU but also I can’t get over one of the groups being called ‘bacteria’ 🤣

I think bacteria and plankton had probably been changed so it's not too outing!

Are people being serious about the bacteria class??? Th OP has obviously changed it so it's not outing. Blimey ....

Bacteria?!

Hahahahahahahaha!

God I hope you've just changed the names for anonymity

Bacteria! I can just imagine the instructors trying to keep a straight face telling a four year old that they need to get a bit better so they don't have to spend anymore time at Bacteria level ability 😂

Imagine the joy when you graduate from bacteria to plankton 🤣 as if!

Well she could just have said level 1-5 if it was outing. Bizarre thread.

The friends sound too young for WhatsApp as this sounds like Primary school level classes.

Some people are properly hard of thinking OP has clearly changed the class names to show stages

She's reaping what she's sown. Good on you for calling her out on it. Saying mean shit about a kid behind their back, what a bitch.

On a complete tangent, my autistic literal minded son was gutted when he graduated squid class and wasn't actually a squid.

Presumably niece not that old, so perhaps the question is really why is she on WhatsApp? Even if she has picked up the attitude from your sister, it is still appropriate that she is told off for cyberbullying.