to think teacher calling kids this is inappropriate?

[OWetOne]

My child(9) told me their teacher will call a child a wet wipe if the child is 'being a coward' (how my child explained it). My child wasn't offended and told me about it because they thought it was funny, but they obviously have never heard it being used before. I wouldn't want my child calling someone else a wet wipe.

Am I being a wet wipe? Or am I right to think this is inappropriate?

It’s name calling, which amounts to bullying.
Not on at all and I would raising it strongly with the Head.

There are better ways to encourage bravery than humiliation. Its bad pedagogy as well as bullying.

If a child is upset by being called a wet wipe then they probably ARE a wet wipe. It’s a gentle phrase for being a bit soft …

Why would a teacher have any reason to call a kid a coward? YANBU

You are right and I’m not mocking you, but just because it’s a great word I would really love OP to brief her child to sternly respond next time ‘That is bad pedagogy, Miss’

Its a description of a type of behaviour normally (more often 'dont be such a wetwipe' rather than 'you are a wetwipe' but i wasnt there)

Its probably better an adult describes that behaviour is a different way and describes the desired behaviour/supports it, but if the majority of interaction was positive and professional I wouldnt worry about this much.

Definitely inappropriate. I wouldn't be happy at all.

Some of my sons secondary school teachers would call the kids something like that, all in good fun though, they'd get a fair bit of slagging back. I wouldn't expect primary school teachers to say it to a child that's afraid of trying something. Not very encouraging.

YANBU @OWetOneMost unprofessional. I bet this is some young bloke saying it. I despair at what some teachers think is acceptable nowadays. In my very long teaching career I managed quite easily to not call children derogatory names. Surely wet wipe is akin to calling someone toilet paper?

Disclaimer - I am a teacher.

In the first instance I would email the teacher rather than go straight to the head because it could simply be a very misguided attempt to have ‘banter’ and build a relationship with the children. The email could say something along the lines of ‘X has mentioned that children are being called a ‘wet wipe’. I have concerns around this as I wouldn’t want children to think name calling is in any way acceptable.’
Then, if it continued I would email the head.
Teachers are human too, sometimes they mess up and need a gentle nudge.

No way is that acceptable. It's teaching the kids to name call and mock someone when they are frightened, unsure, not confident or vulnerable. Horrible.

@Foundress actually a very experienced female teacher!

@Gerbera55 thank you, that's good advice – I need to speak to them in person about other issues so might bring it up then. This teacher does use a lot of banter so I know it would've been intended in a jokey way. But not many kids that age get sarcasm, and I don't want them to think it's ok to call someone a wet wipe.

It’s absolutely not okay - depending on the age/personality/confidence of your child, could you teach them a phrase to use if the teacher says it - “Don’t call me/X a wet wipe, it’s not a kind way to speak to anyone.” Some classes also have boxes for children to write things they want their teacher to know, if your child’s class has something like that could they write a note?

People are so precious and love being offended about anything.

The over-reaction (and the talk of bullying, humiliation) are a sad sign of what is wrong with parents these days - and I do have kids in primary school. But the offended parents about nothing are exhausting.

We were called a bunch of slags at secondary school back in the day.

😂

that would be a bit much for a bunch of primary school kids to be fair 😂

😂

DS1 (19) had a teacher who called the kids 'little squirts' in secondary school (Y7-9). I often use it, I love it.

I don't think it's a big deal, was probably over someone refusing to pick up a tissue or something.

As a teacher I wouldn’t do this, but as a parent, maybe.

I’m not convinced that raising a generation of kids who can’t cope with mild teasing without parents leaping in to defend them isn’t actually turning them into a bunch of wet wipes. Resilience seems to be through the floor.

@OWetOne Oh that’s even worse then. It’s very easy for ‘banter’ to tip over into bullying in my opinion. How often do we see threads on MN where adults are upset by ‘banter’ at work? I agree that children don’t really get sarcasm. Parents and teachers need to absolutely be encouraging resilience in children. I personally don’t think that it is achieved by calling a nine year old a wet wipe.

This is a good example. What would you expect a teacher to say to a pupil who had dropped a used tissue and refused to pick it up because it was 'yucky'

Wet wipe or wuss, either fine, I don’t remember anyone at school having a nervous breakdown after being called it.i think it’s quite mild.

I think it totally depends on tone and context. If it’s said to a child who is genuinely afraid of something in an unkind voice, that’s one thing, but if it’s some lighthearted teasing aimed at a group or the whole class (“come on, these spellings aren’t THAT hard, don’t be wet wipes!”) it would not bother me in the least.

If you’re otherwise happy with the teacher and your DC isn’t upset I’d leave it.

I’m going to give up speaking at all to my students. I will display pre-approved slides on the board and press the return button after a requisite number of minutes (carefully calibrated so students who struggle to read the board aren’t struggling, yet those who are as yet undiscovered geniuses won’t be held up). If any of them speak rudely to me, including swearing and threats of physical violence, I shall simply smile gently and incline my head. If the class refuse to wear correct uniform, refuse to sit down quietly, refuse to do the work set, chuck chairs about, fight each other, set fire to the carpet I will personally phone all the parents to tell them it’s my fault and I know I must do better.

Is that the sort of thing parents are after from teaching staff? It’s the impression I get from reading threads like this.