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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think that children in your child's class don't identify as animals?

280 replies

wotnofurries · 08/11/2024 14:39

inspired by the wearing a tail to school thread, I thought I'd see just how common or otherwise the whole furry/litter tray/identify as an animal thing really is.

Unreasonable = Yes, a child in my child's class does this.
Not Unreasonable = Don't be silly, never come across one in my life.

OP posts:
catin8oots · 08/11/2024 16:44

Maybe these kids are all just mocking the ridiculousness of pretending to be a different sex to what you were born? I bloody hope so.

Changer123 · 08/11/2024 16:46

There's a child in my daughters primary school who wears a wolf tail to school, and I'm told by my older two that at secondary and now college it's more prevalent. I hadn't seen any in real life until the wolf tail child but I've recently seen some in my small very boring seaside town which was quite shocking

Wellingtonspie · 08/11/2024 16:46

catin8oots · 08/11/2024 16:44

Maybe these kids are all just mocking the ridiculousness of pretending to be a different sex to what you were born? I bloody hope so.

I mean you could hope it’s all a horrible gotcha from the kids.

But that is exactly what’s opened this door isn’t it. If you can change sex you can change species how can you argue against it without admitting you cannot change sex.

So they have the school/govt or what ever by the short and curlys.

Yetanothernewname101 · 08/11/2024 16:47

Children in my early years setting would sometimes pretend to be dogs. Mainly in the role play area. We used to say it was time to change the role play resources.
I think a lot of youngsters go through phases of wanting to be someone or something else as they explore their developing teenage and young adults selves. Especially if they don't feel that they fit in.

MyCatsAreFuckwits · 08/11/2024 16:51

Superworm24 · 08/11/2024 16:28

How does that work? Does she just headbutt a lamp all day?

😂😂😂😂😂 I have no idea.
Thanks for making me properly laugh out loud though!

Serencwtch · 08/11/2024 16:52

About half of the SEN/autism kids identify as trans, therian or furry.

I think the litter tray thing was media nonsense & never happened.

They do campaign for things like quadratic (or whatever it's called when they go over a dog agility course on all fours) to be allowed in PE. (It was refused but there's a lunch time group for it). Alot of the kids are addressed by their spirit animal name by other kids (but not teachers)

There was also.a few that were challenging the uniform policy as trans kids are allowed to dress as their preferred gender & the therian/furry argued that it was the same as allowing them to wear tails as therian/furry are equal to trans. The school refused but they are allowed to wear tails on non uniform days & to lgbtqia+ club.

I saw a few tails on kids coming out of school on a recent non uniform day.

It does put schools in a tricky situation where they have made allowances for trans kids as it's then hard to refuse the same for therian/furries.

Just glad none of mine went down that route & hope Cass has highlighted some of the issues.

NotQuiteUsual · 08/11/2024 16:52

My daughter calls herself a Therian. She has therian friends. She makes masks and has a couple tails. She says she identifies as a silver fox, but she doesn't really understand what identifying as something actually means. She thinks it means she relates to the animal and likes it a lot.

She's certainly not wearing a tail or ears to school or anything though. She doesn't really do it at home either. She'll probably outgrow it soon knowing what she's like. Then it'll be on to the next obsession.

thkingslin · 08/11/2024 16:55

Yer, I've heard about this therian stuff. I think it is absolutely crazy. Probably just a phase for most or attention seeking.

Frozensnow · 08/11/2024 16:57

My kids are year 4 and year 8 and I’ve never heard of any furries in their schools.

when I was a mainstream teacher about ten years ago, I did have a year 4 child who used to go under the table and bark at people every now and again. Probably in this day and age she would be wearing a tail and ears and informing people she is a dog or a wolf.

I think it’s alarming schools in Scotland are teaching primary children about the therians. Schools are not the place for tails, animals ears etc.

DelilahRay · 08/11/2024 17:00

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at the request of the user.

SemperIdem · 08/11/2024 17:00

I know of a child who identified as a dragon and had a “lair” in the classroom to take “dragon naps” in.

That’s the only primary school age one I’ve heard of. But I often see teens wearing ears and tails hanging around the castle in the city I live in.

musicalfrog · 08/11/2024 17:04

The trouble is... grown ups aren't acting grown up any more.

There should be no patience for this in schools whatsoever.

I kind of miss the stiff upper lip tbh.

ChoristerAtChristmas · 08/11/2024 17:05

Serencwtch · 08/11/2024 16:52

About half of the SEN/autism kids identify as trans, therian or furry.

I think the litter tray thing was media nonsense & never happened.

They do campaign for things like quadratic (or whatever it's called when they go over a dog agility course on all fours) to be allowed in PE. (It was refused but there's a lunch time group for it). Alot of the kids are addressed by their spirit animal name by other kids (but not teachers)

There was also.a few that were challenging the uniform policy as trans kids are allowed to dress as their preferred gender & the therian/furry argued that it was the same as allowing them to wear tails as therian/furry are equal to trans. The school refused but they are allowed to wear tails on non uniform days & to lgbtqia+ club.

I saw a few tails on kids coming out of school on a recent non uniform day.

It does put schools in a tricky situation where they have made allowances for trans kids as it's then hard to refuse the same for therian/furries.

Just glad none of mine went down that route & hope Cass has highlighted some of the issues.

Edited

I don't get why trans students are allowed to use their preferred gender in school? Why can't they be treated the same as the other students and do the trans thing outside of school? Tomboys at my all girls secondary school weren't allowed to present as boys, I wonder why it's different now?

K0OLA1D · 08/11/2024 17:07

Anoisagusaris · 08/11/2024 14:48

How does a 7 year old even know the term ‘therian’?

Not a child, but a mother of a child at our school identifies as a cat apparently 🙄

That was my thought.

ChoristerAtChristmas · 08/11/2024 17:18

Growuppeople · 08/11/2024 16:16

Your taking the piss get your child of the internet how embarrassing. Bloody hell i need to leave this planet absolutely ridiculous

It's not taking the piss. It's just not validating it or taking it seriously which is a good thing. Why do children identifying as animals need it validated ? Attention seeking like this is often helped by being ignored and allowed to take its course .

MillyMichaelson · 08/11/2024 17:21

Literally today my daughter got into trouble at school for staring agape into a class room with a number of pupils in it, dressed as cats and crawling on all fours.

A teacher got her into trouble for being 'homophobic' which started an argument about how thinking cat people are weird has nothing to do with being gay.

The teacher apparently gave up and walked away due to the fucking inescapable logic of what my daughter said.

This genuinely happened today, in Scotland.

ChoristerAtChristmas · 08/11/2024 17:24

MillyMichaelson · 08/11/2024 17:21

Literally today my daughter got into trouble at school for staring agape into a class room with a number of pupils in it, dressed as cats and crawling on all fours.

A teacher got her into trouble for being 'homophobic' which started an argument about how thinking cat people are weird has nothing to do with being gay.

The teacher apparently gave up and walked away due to the fucking inescapable logic of what my daughter said.

This genuinely happened today, in Scotland.

Is there something in the water up there, I wonder? It's all very odd.

MillyMichaelson · 08/11/2024 17:24

MyCatsAreFuckwits · 08/11/2024 16:24

At my daughters high school a girl has "identified" as a fookin moth since at least year 7 (now year 10)
The staff pander to her and the kids roll their eyes and give a wide berth 🙄

A moth 😂

Good on her. She's gonna make an excellent goth one day soon.

Arran2024 · 08/11/2024 17:25

There is a type of autism called PDA (Pathalogical Demand Avoidance Syndrome) and one of the features of it is role playing as a coping strategy. Kids with PDA often seem quite sociable, but they are mimicking other people rather than acting authentically.

My daughter has a diagnosis of PDA. As a child she roll played tv characters like Hannah Montana. But apparently role playing as an animal can be part of it too. These kids don't know who they are so they latch on to stereotypes and things like animals.

Dig further and a lotbof these kids are on the spectrum.

TeamPolin · 08/11/2024 17:26

I saw a teenaged girl (probably about 15/16) dressed as a cat last summer running up and on all fours down the beach....

FFS...🤦🏻

CollisionCourse · 08/11/2024 17:26

MillyMichaelson · 08/11/2024 17:21

Literally today my daughter got into trouble at school for staring agape into a class room with a number of pupils in it, dressed as cats and crawling on all fours.

A teacher got her into trouble for being 'homophobic' which started an argument about how thinking cat people are weird has nothing to do with being gay.

The teacher apparently gave up and walked away due to the fucking inescapable logic of what my daughter said.

This genuinely happened today, in Scotland.

Is there not much doing up there in Scotland nowadays, kids are this desperate for something to do!? 😆

Your dd sounds great!

ChoristerAtChristmas · 08/11/2024 17:30

Arran2024 · 08/11/2024 17:25

There is a type of autism called PDA (Pathalogical Demand Avoidance Syndrome) and one of the features of it is role playing as a coping strategy. Kids with PDA often seem quite sociable, but they are mimicking other people rather than acting authentically.

My daughter has a diagnosis of PDA. As a child she roll played tv characters like Hannah Montana. But apparently role playing as an animal can be part of it too. These kids don't know who they are so they latch on to stereotypes and things like animals.

Dig further and a lotbof these kids are on the spectrum.

I think it's been proven that there is a link between trans and ASD, so probably true for this too. After all, it's all role play whether it's gender or animal related.

I wouldn't have an issue with kids doing this out of school tbh. I just think it's unnecessary in the classroom. The ASD kids can get their outlet at home or at theatre classes.

Potatoewithawonkyeye · 08/11/2024 17:32

DutchCowgirl · 08/11/2024 15:02

I think the people who are so offended by the word “identifying” should imagine what an 11 year old girl sees as “identifying “ as a cat. It is no different from being a real big fan of Madonna and dressing up like her in the 80’s.

I didn't go to school expecting other people to call me Madonna. The world has gone fucking mad.

ilikecatsandponies · 08/11/2024 17:33

My five year old identifies as the tooth fairy.

BenditlikeBridget · 08/11/2024 17:38

There are furries in my Y8 child’s year, at least one of whom wears a tail. I think it is madness and can’t believe the school/parents allow it tbh.

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