You know when you second guess yourself.

[allgoodinthehood]

Im a TA . We were on the playground and the children of another bubble were more than 2 ft away .
Year 6 children so 11 years old. In a mixed group of girls and boys.
Its the end if term tomorrow so the children were in slightly high spirits.
Their teacher was there with an ipad taking the odd individual photo.
One child was running around with two footballs up his T shirt imitating having breasts. A couple of boys then copied this behaviour.
This went on for at least five minutes . When the child came near enough for me to say something I told him I found it offensive. His teacher then said " ah his only putting two balls up his tshirt hes only playing. I then replied in a firmer voice that " I still found it offensive"
They walked off but then they came back to apologise so all good .
The bit I cant get my head around is that an intelligent woman cannot see how wrong this behaviour was and then try and dismiss it .

Why's it wrong? Really?

What did you find offensive about it? Genuine question. My daughters used to do it when they were younger, is it his gender that makes it offensive?

Can you enlighten the intelligent women on here as to what about this caused you offence?

I feel its wrong because its sexual running around pretending to have large breasts for comedic value. If a girl was running around with something long between her legs pretending to have a large penis to make her peers laugh that would also be inappropriate.
Also why is a woman's breasts up for making fun if in the first place . These are pubescent children that have only just done sex ed so surely this goes against everything that was taught in that lesson .

I feel its wrong because its sexual running around pretending to have large breasts for comedic value. If a girl was running around with something long between her legs pretending to have a large penis to make her peers laugh that would also be inappropriate.
Also why is a woman's breasts up for making fun if in the first place . These are pubescent children that have only just done sex ed so surely this goes against everything that was taught in that lesson .

Sorry for posting twice glich on the system

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‘They’ve just done sex Ed’

There’s your big clue as to why they’re doing it and you said it in your post. Right now it’s really funny but next week it’ll be something else. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.

You're a TA you say.

I don't think it's offensive, particularly, but I would have said something like, "That's enough now" a bit sooner.
I'm a secondary teacher and if they were doing this in six weeks time when they're in Year 7, I think most teachers would tell them to stop.

I couldn't get worked up about this!

I see where your coming from i don't know any school where this would be accepted and not have a "come on now lets stop being silly" from a staff member

They are 11 years old they know what breasts are

It might have made me uncomfortable, OP. Depending on whether i thought it was curiosity or possibly teasing or disrespectful. Some 11 year old girls will be body conscious, aware of changes taking place earlier than their peers. I wasn't one of those but i remember the sexualisation of a girl in my class at that age and she was having sex with boys at school. As an adult now i can see they were children and vulnerable. So yes, op, I'd have been uncomfortable.

I think most children do this to some extent. I have 2 girls and I've seen them pretend to have boobs, pretend to have a big pregnancy bump and pretend to have a willy. All of which they find absolutely hilarious.

In my opinion it's biology rather than sexual. Children play games that involve the world and people around them.

Perhaps school isn't the best place for children to be messing about with football boobs but it's not offensive, just a bit silly.

I’m not saying it’s right - personally I wouldn’t find it offensive but we all have different levels of what we are comfortable with - but please OP don’t ever go on a night out with lads who play Rugby. Some boys never grow out of the ‘comedy breasts’ stage.

Pretty standard childhood behaviour. Maybe you're in the wrong job.

Would you have been so horrified if it were girls?

So they should modify their behaviour because it wouldn't be yours?

why didnt you just do the 'right, stop being silly, take the balls out of your jumper you are spoiling it and play football nicely or go and put the balls away' speech? why such angst? you are the adult here.

@thebabessavedme - exactly. I’m a TA and last week the boys were putting balls up their shirts and pretending to be pregnant. I just said that they would stretch their t shirts and that they were stopping the others from playing football. They laughed and removed them. No drama

Of course they think it's funny. It's football boobs. It's funny because it's ridiculous. It's not suitable for school but I'm failing to see how you can summon the energy to be offended?

@grannybags - they are boys who have found out about tits, a life long obbsession has begun, I am old, it was ever thus! [sigh]