"Julian is a mermaid" reception aged child

[Quantumduckling]

Hi, I wonder if I could get some views on this. My child has just started reception and came home with a book "Julian is a mermaid". I'm concerned that the teacher may be pushing a transgender narrative to the children if this is the book that they are given on day 1 of reception. Would you be concerned?

I'm absolutely fine with boys being told they can dress up and play with whatever they like, the same for girls. This just feels off to me so soon after starting. Would you be concerned? After the supreme court ruling are schools allowed to teach children that they can change sex if they feel like it (they can't- and I wouldn't want my 4 year old child to be taught anything like that).

Or would you just take it as a fun book for the first day of reception and no deeper meaning?

My kids read all kinds of books. Many of them pure shite and many of them excellent. One book is not going to indoctrinate your child, and neither is one teacher. I don’t think banning certain topics helps anyone. I’d rather talk to my kids about everything they’re going to come across in the world and help them to gently question the wide range of messages they receive from lots of different sources. It’s never too early to do that.

As opposed to pushing an ideology of hyper conspiracism? Whatever happened to charitably? Or 'keep calm carry on'?

Whatever motivated the writer, teacher or school its the message in the book that matters which is 'people are individuals not a monolith'. And anyone who has a problem with this is in feminism's way not to mention that of humanism.

MRA's constant extreme gripe being 'we live in a authoritarian feminised society' is legitimised by grains of truth where naval gazing safetyism becomes normalised. Culminating with obsessing over whether others are sufficiently male or female presenting.

Children are sponges & unless you want to contribute to generational tin foil hat zealotry it might be time to keep calm & carry on….

This question actually makes me really sad. I’m a nursery teacher and we have this book, alongside dressing up clothes that are sparkly, real life (police officers, fire fighters)- notice I didn’t say policeMAN or fireMAN- because guess what - children can pretend to be whatever they want. Would you resist your child having a book about a police officer? Even though police officers sometimes do bad things? The notion that teachers may have an agenda to push children into ‘becoming’ transgender is nonsensical and actually shows a huge amount of ignorance. I’ve realised how transphobic MN is these days but please don’t start demonising teachers for trying to let children be curious and imaginative.

I gently suggest that you take a look at what's happening to children in some schools around the country:
Sadly there's much evidence that many teachers are pushing a trans agenda at children of all ages. The teaching unions have opposed the Cass Review and there's rock solid evidence of some schools have transitioned children in secret from parents. Some schools even force girls to undress in chaging rooms alongside teenage boys claiming to be girls:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5404868-single-sex-changing-spaces-in-a-brighton-secondary-school-new-school-year-new-thread

In the light of all this, of course parents are now wary and suspicious. You may need to educate yourself a bit about what's been going on.

Let him read it. He could then get into swimming and be the next Olympic champion

I'm not on X, can you summarise please?

My guess is your child has maybe taken it off the bookshelf and brought it home with them as opposed to being given it.

Most reception age children can’t read so the standard practice is to send home picture books first then as their phonics knowledge progresses to send home closely matched books containing lots of repetition of the phonemes they’ve been practicing that week.

It would be hugely demoralising to children to start their time in school by sending them home with books they have no hope of reading or understanding. Just double check what’s going on with the teacher.

'Mermaids!'.... Such a coincidence!

@ohfook ops already said its a teacher selected class book.
As above whys Julian a 'mermaid' not merman/boy?

I’m all for encouraging children to be imaginative and creative, but I draw the line at books/lessons that foster the idea people can change their sex.

My two 5yr olds wouldn’t choose to read it but might pick a book about becoming a Firefighter or Doctor.

Call me transphobic, it’s no skin off my nose.

Not heard of this book before. A quick Google shows it is a book to be concerned about and yes you should challenge it.
It was inspired by drag queens, but presumably that was too obvious, so mermaids were chosen due to their connection to the trans community. It has been banned in parts of America.
So many wonderful children's books that could have been chosen.

What if it were a book about a boy dressing up as a princess? I know several boys who've enjoyed a pretty twirly dress and wanted to be a princess. Is this so different?

Depends how you read/interpret/present it when you share it with your dc.

Julian has found Julian's true self - what a sweet girl she is!

V

Fancy dress is just fancy dress. What fun he is having pretending to be a mermaid at the parade!

Yes, I'd definitely be talking to the reception teacher. Asking questions.

But why would a reception teacher choose such a book as the first book to use as a class reader? To my mind, as an ex teacher, this has been very consciously chosen.......could be through naivety on the teacher's part, but could also signal a very definite agenda.

You are teacher and have not been taught that some people have agenda when teaching children about subjects?

Did you miss all the On-SM teachers who helped get Trump elected in the US with their fuck-you-Parents-I-know-better-than-you attitudes to teaching?

You call it transphobia when a parent asks a safeguarding question.

Why as someone who claims to be trained did you jump to transphobia when safeguarding is raised rather than read and think about what questions should be asked about that individual teacher?

I prefer to presume innocent until proven guilty. Nothing actually wrong here (yet). Maybe she liked the illustrations or story, maybe she wants to set the tone that gender stereotypes can be broken (which per GC ideology is an anti-trans stance).

Its the OPs child.

I have no problem with everybody is a suspect when it comes to children.

And that's your and ops perogative.

Innocent until proven guilty was a bad choice if phrase in my part. That's clearly not the line I hold, in terms of the legal nature that evokes. But I don't like to default to nefarious intent. I don't want my child to assume everyone is bad and trying to hurt them and to read ill intent into everything. Most people are good.

I’m not sure that the fact that some education boards in the US have banned it gives any kind of idea about the message in the book.

Other books banned by batshit American schools include the handmaid’s tale, the color purple, and the bluest eye.

Of course a reception teacher should enable the imagination of young children; provide them with props and dressing up clothes and books about adventure, about fantasy, about caring for people and animals, about families, about love..without pushing a book which has a very specific agenda ( a boy can be a girl) which this one does.

Boys can be mermen; Girls can rescue cats from trees; boys can be loving and gentle towards small creatures and babies; they can dress up as flamboyant heroes who wear shiny shoes; and girls can be heroines who battle dragons; or who like to climb trees; girls can play football, and boys can be dancers.......but pushing a cross sex narrative is irresponsible.

As a teacher you must surely have studied child development? I was a teacher too, albeit with older children.

Yes, she could well be naive and not realise the nature and intention of this book. But as a parent I'd still be asking questions of her.

This is not so much about breaking stereotypes, as suggesting a boy can be a girl.

So little boys can't pretend to be princesses? It's really not that deep. Kids just don't see it like that.

Yes, of course.....but I don't think a teacher should be trying to steer children towards a specific agenda in such a formalised way. " Come on boys, I want you to dress up as a princess now"

This book was written about child gender transition.

You slightly missed my point.

Its your job to think everybody is a suspect.

You go ask the questions show yourself willing to be the TigerMum, as and if needed, ready to rip into anyone who thinks your child will be an easy target.

That way your child is better protected for longer and you can keep them thinking that most people are good (which is true).

Then as they get older and are more independent you can teach them to not just take people at face value as most people are complex and can react situationally