Very sad conversation with a class of 11 year olds yesterday about breast feeding

[popsycal]

We were looking at the key characteristics of mammals. One is obviously that the mother makes milk to nourish her offspring. Cue sniggers from the back. So Mrs Popsy decided to re-emphasise.....not just animals like cows etc. Human females all make milk for their offspring. More sniggers. So I explained that I bet many children in the class were breast fed by their mothers wehn they were young.
Lots of comments of yeuch gross etc.
So I asked why it was gross.
apparently (and we are talking well brought up children here - not disadvantaged in any way....) 'ladies' chests' (they would not even say breasts) should be kept under their jumpers as bottles are more sociable

needless to say I put them right

the bar!
the days of the bar!!!

actually we will be keepinh the year 6s as were go up to year 8 in our school....

and i have just told dh botu weasel milk.....he doesn't believe me....
link anyone?

I guess I was thinking that there isn't any reason to talk about breastfeeding at home unless you come across it..by the time my kids were ten then there wasn't any reason for it to come up at home

I think PinkTulips said 'more similar' not 'more milk', Moondog. Talking about composition, not quantities. Fascinating about the weasel milk.

I think that is why it is so important for schools to discuss it and for people to feel comfortable about feeding in public if they want to do that

LOL, I googled "weasel milk" to see if there was a suitable link. Second link on list was MN!!!

I agree but I'm not surprised at the reaction..to most ten year olds it would seem a long way off thinking baout feeding a baby

psml @ 'milk the weasel' rofl

interesting facts about kangaroo milk

tbh I am not exactly surprised by the reaction - every year the same thing happens......my point was that I wish it was perceived as 'normal' as it should be.

I'm not remotely suprised that the kids were weirded out by the concept of BF, tbh.

I think it is true that most 11 year olds would think of breasts as something sexual (certainly both my DSs did at that age), so the thought of feeding a child from something they associate with sex is bound to make the majority go a bit funny.

Not saying it is 'right' that this is the way it is, but it is the way it is. What do you expect when kids are bombarded with images of women in bikinis writhing or posing provocatively (music videos, adverts, eveywhere).

I agree with NDP, I wouldn't expect any other reaction from a class of that age group. By the time most of them have to make the choice to BF or not they will have a totally different opinion I'm sure.

is the weasel milk thing really helpful in promoting BF?

i meant in composition not quantity MD! hardly thought a weasel could rival a cow in production!

lmao at the idea of using a teensy weensy little breastpump on a weasel!!!

My dd is coming up 11, she has seen me BF three of her siblings and understands that this is best for baby etc etc. However, if we were to have a discussion about it it would weird her out - she id 11 at this age boobies are funny and slightly embarassing - no matter what the concept!

I would ahve fully expected from the back if I were to approach this subject with a room full of pre-hormanal children - espec if mixed sex!

I wouldn't be too worried if I were you - at the moment they are starting to think about starting to think about sex IYSWIM, the rights and wrongs of feeding a baby is a loooong way off yet!

I am not worried in the slightest - as I say, it happens every year...I just feel quite sad that it does....especially accompanied with the specific comments...

ho hum

Sorry PT!

I am now having vision of some of our parents phoning in complaining that mrs popsy has told them they must all feed weasel milk to their future offspring....