“My shadow is pink” is the book of the term for my 5 year! Help me formulate my arguments for my child’s school!

[Areyounot]

You know when you read something over and over again and you still don’t feel like it makes sense? That’s where I am at!

I am not the most articulate of people and I find writing hard at times, but I cannot let my child be taught this at school at 5! I am currently writing an email to the head but I feel my argument is weak.

Any ideas would help!

As far as I'm aware the book is about understanding that not everyone conforms to stereotypes and that that's okay. Son wants to impress his very 'masculine' Dad but enjoys playing with things that are traditionally enjoyed by girls. A bit like Billy Elliot. What's the problem?

This book and another in the series were discussed on this thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4826025-my-shadow-is-purple-what-is-this-nonsense

Have you read it @ItsALongWayToTheTop? It's not how you describe it at all. It's full of gender woo about "identifying as" a girl or a boy or nonbinary.

What I think we need to be teaching our children is that humans have a range of behaviors and interests. They aren't strictly male/female. They aren't labeled. Tell them its okay to be different. If that is what this book does - good.

I find this book sexist, it is still saying that your inner soul (or shadow) is pink or blue and therefore you like ballet or football. All they have added to old school sexism is a layer of dissociation from your body.

I'm not sure the best approach to take fir the school - either the stereotypes or the hinting at being born in the wrong body, which has been discredit everywhere. You could say "The book is clearly well meaning, but since it was written we've realised how damaging it is to children to suggest you can be born in the wrong body, even trans charities don't say that anymore."

With you OP. Not an issue that a 5 year old should be expected to understand or relate to and I'd be horrified too.

"My Shadow is Pink is an excellent way to introduce children to the concept of gender identity and teach them to be open to others who do not fit within the traditional binary or whose identity doesn't match their assigned sex at birth"

https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/32049

The book is all all about promoting the concept of gender ideology.

Anyone who disagrees with that ideology has every right to complain.

A boy who likes Elsa does not need a pink shadow to justify liking Elsa nor does liking Elsa mean he has a pink shadow.

The pink shadow obviously does not exist but TRAs want to put a mark on kids as trans as young as possible.

Just leave the kids alone

.

Here's an excellent article to share with the school about why teaching gender ideology to young children is a complete breach of safeguarding guidance:
https://thecritic.co.uk/the-government-needs-to-put-safeguarding-first/

Safe Schools Alliance have countless resources for concerned parents to challenge schools in thrall to gender woowoo. Schools have a legal responsibility to be politically impartial and not push contested ideologies at children:

https://safeschoolsallianceuk.net/resources-2/letter-templates/

The people bullying the boy who liked Elsa are saying he is girly and should be ashamed.

The pink shadow says he is girly and should be proud.

Both want to put a stigma on the child.

The only sensible thing to say is that he is a boy who likes Elsa and so bloody what?

Why do children need to be introduced to the concept of gender identity?

Do any of the people pushing this regressive nonsense ever explain why they think that children need to be taught about it?

I would argue that the book is an endorsement of transgender ideology, and as such they are breaking the law on the requirement to be politically impartial, unless they also provide the children with age suitable material that is against the ideology.

You could suggest "Johnny the Walrus" by Matt Walsh.

So they need to teach both sides or they are breaking the law.

I would be very interested in whether they are willing to read a Matt Walsh book to the kids. Maybe they would see that as some sort of hate crime, I don't know.

You could also mention that GC beliefs are protected under the Equality Act, so what excuse would they have for not teaching them with other perspectives?

(Matt Walsh isn't GC, but conservative.)

A different option, is that the book is teaching that a young child already knows their "true self". But many children may recover from gender dysphoria, so this kind of messaging is medically wrong and potentially harmful.

Or we are still battling over these new issues as a society.

When we haven't worked this stuff out yet in the adult world, maybe we shouldn't be targeting children with propaganda in a culture war that they can't possibly understand.

A 5 year old with lady brain. 🤢

Good grief. A whole term on this one book? They really want to drum it in.
Maybe spending a term in a particular book is the thing now but when my DDs were 5 (did you mean 5 year old or year 5?) most if the children were still developing their reading skills - DD1 was fast and bringing home a new book every day, DD2 was slow to learn to read and very much concentrating on that.

Why can't the children read more interesting books to excite their imaginations? And encourage their desire to read?

All this book teaches is that kids don’t need to fit into stereotypes. things like girls can be scientists, boys can be dancers.
Common sense really. And feminist.

The problem is that the next step in that school might be to encourage a name and pronoun change, the belief that humans can be born in the wrong body, it is possible to change sex, you just need some drugs and a bit of mutilating surgery.

@newhere there's nothing feminist about saying a boy who loves wearing a dress has an intrinsically different soul to the rest of the boys. That he will be directed by his pink soul for the rest of his life, that in fact he MUST be.

In the review someone linked to on the other thread, it says: As the story progresses, our main character gains confidence and makes friends at school. It’s a heartwarming journey of self-empowerment. This simple yet powerful book is perfect for starting important conversations with kids about gender stereotypes. And hey, it’s also a great way to introduce topics like nonbinary, gender fluidity, and transgender identities.

Why do we need to introduce little children to non binary, gender fluidity and transgender identities?

You may find some wording such as the following in the Tranagender Trend piece

Telling young children that hairstyles and clothes will change their sex and that other children will then believe it to be true is a cruel deception, playing as it does on a child’s developmentally limited understanding of biology. It’s a cynical trick to use on children who are at an age when fantasy play is at its most intense.

https://www.transgendertrend.com/trans-picture-books-little-children/

Some great answers on this thread. And effectively explain what gender critical means.

This is the nutshell:

Heliotroper · Yesterday 21:51

The people bullying the boy who liked Elsa are saying he is girly and should be ashamed.

The pink shadow says he is girly and should be proud.

Both want to put a stigma on the child.

The only sensible thing to say is that he is a boy who likes Elsa and so bloody what?

Exactly.

The sexism is assuming that a love of Elsa should be girly in the first place.

Transgenderism needs sexist stereotypes to be rock solid in order to make out kids are transgressing them and aren't they brave.

Without the assumption that behaviour and preference are truly innate depending on your sex, you cant adopt those of the opposite sex.

Pretending that this is liberating for children and therefore progressive is gaslighting.

The most important thinh imo is how the teacher intends to use the book.

I saw a teacher in my own school carrying a ppt on gender stereotypes which was brilliant till the last page where she slapped a link to mermaids.

Too many thing it's the same thing.

It needs to be purely about widening ideas of gender stereotypes, smashing and rebuilding, but avoiding anything to do with trans.

This simple yet powerful book is perfect for starting important conversations with kids about gender stereotypes. And hey, it’s also a great way to introduce topics like nonbinary, gender fluidity, and transgender identities.

So you discuss gender stereotypes with children, and then instead of explaining to them that they don't have to comply with them, you suggest that if they don't comply they must be transgender or non-binary. So progressive.

I would suggest quoting the following Department for Education guidance on planning for the relationships, sex and health curriculum in any letter:

You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests or the clothes they prefer to wear. Resources used in teaching about this topic must always be age-appropriate and evidence based. Materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used and you should not work with external agencies or organisations that produce such material.

Guidance link

Op, this is exactly what you need.

Materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used and you should not work with external agencies or organisations that produce such material.

Job done.

There seem to be people who cannot see outside of gender stereotypes.

It's either:
1) Blue boys and pink girls with NB in-between. You choose your box and alter your body to fit your personality.

2) Blue boys and pink girls, make sure you stay in your boxes. Your personality is suppressed to suit your body.

Neither of these positions are feminist or progressive!

The feminist position says:

3) boys and girls can be any colour on the rainbow, it doesn't matter. Any body can have any personality. No boxes.

newhere and others on this thread who seem stuck with only positions 1 and 2 as an option, please could you tell me if you understand position 3 and if so, what is your objection is to it?

How do you tend to find out what school will be teaching. I believe gender sterotypes will be taught this year but I've no idea what they will teach, do I need to specifically ask or will they let us know?

(DS 7already aware of such issues and I believe will sensibly report content of teaching to me)