What do you think of this?

[fly-mom]

My 3 yo dd is very interested in my BF her little brother (3 mo). I have always been very open with her about it. I call the milk "breast milk". Recently she started calling it "mommy milk", and I asked her where she learned to say that, and basically got it out of her that her preschool teachers told her to say "mommy milk" instead of "breast milk". I'm not sure what to make of that. Mommy milk is kind of cute, but I like to call things by their real names. Also, it sort of sends the message that breasts are naughty. Am I reading too much into this? LOL!

[Momtwice]

I think you make an excellent point!

Mommy milk is cute and loveable but you can keep calling it what you want.

You might discuss how different people are comfortable with different words.

I like "human milk" too.

[ChattyCat]

Ds calls it 'momma milk from my breasts' lol

nak

[MaryJaneLouise]

Well, technically ALL milk is breast milk. Cows' breast milke, goats' breast milk, mommy's breast milk. I guess it is up to you what your family calls it, but I like the name mommy milk

[jillc512]

It would kind of bug me, too, if the teacher told her NOT to say breastmilk. I personally like mommy milk or mama's milk. However, if the teacher thinks even the word is inappropriate, that means she needs to hear it about 1,000 more times to get comfortable with it (kind of like NIP -- the only way people will get comfortable with it is to see it over and over until they stop noticing).

This reminds me of a 'Bringing Home Baby' episode I was watching yesterday (I know, I know ). It was the 8-week portion of the show, and the dad made the comment that the baby was "sleeping like he should, drinking what he should", at which point I assumed they were bottlefeeding, but nope, they showed the mama nursing in the next shot. It seemed like he couldn't bring himself to use the word 'nursing' or 'breastfeeding'.

Or, maybe in my hyper-sensitive lactivist state I'm reading too much into this .

[fly-mom]

Originally Posted by MaryJaneLouise

Well, technically ALL milk is breast milk. Cows' breast milke, goats' breast milk, mommy's breast milk. I guess it is up to you what your family calls it, but I like the name mommy milk

I don't know. Technically it's all mommy milk too right? I mean cow's are someone's mom too. And do cow and goats have 'breasts'? They are not usually called breasts, but teats. I think humans are the only mammals that technically have fatty breasts. LOL, semantics.

I'm not really going to make a big deal about it. Just the more I think about it the more it makes me wonder how the conversation went. Did the teacher tell her to say mommy milk instead of breast milk. Breast is not a bad word. Just kind of bugs me, but not enough to make a big deal out of it. I will continue to call it breast milk. Mommy milk is cute, and appropriate.

[ColoradoMama]

Honestly, I would be ticked and would have a talk with the teacher. I'd tell her we call breast milk - breast milk and it was inappropriate for her to tell your daughter not to call it that. Then I'd tell dd that they teacher was out of line for telling her to stop saying breast milk.

[Sagesgirl]

Yep, I'd be having a talk with the teacher as well. Not only is breastmilk the proper name (though I did like "titty milk" ), breast is the proper name.

[Leta]

I'm with two pps above. I'd definately call the teacher out on it. Breasts are not "innapropriate" for preschoolers. Who knows, maybe some of her classmates are still breastfeeding.

[lml41981]

I'd talk with the teacher about it.

I'll bet some of those preschoolers have breasts, too, so there shouldn't be anything taboo about the word.

[julie128]

Originally Posted by jillc512

This reminds me of a 'Bringing Home Baby' episode I was watching yesterday (I know, I know ). It was the 8-week portion of the show, and the dad made the comment that the baby was "sleeping like he should, drinking what he should", at which point I assumed they were bottlefeeding, but nope, they showed the mama nursing in the next shot. It seemed like he couldn't bring himself to use the word 'nursing' or 'breastfeeding'.

Or, maybe in my hyper-sensitive lactivist state I'm reading too much into this .

I think that since he said "drinking like he should," and then showing mom bf is saying that you should bf. Very lactivist of him, actually.

I just say milk for bm, and refrigerator milk for non-bm-milk.

[sdm1024]

I personally would ask the teacher about it.

Your DD is your child and you can teach her to say "breastmilk".

Although, I admit I'm pretty specific about what words I teach my children to use for their parts/bodies and it really ticks me off when others interfere.

[hunnybumm]

I know this is not the same thing but at the schools here you are not allowed to say "butt" you HAVE to say bottom. If they call their butt a "butt" then they get in trouble. I wouldn't be surprised if they have the same "policy" with other body parts, but since I don't have any school age kids I don't really know. I could see them having a "problem" with the kids saying vagina, penis and scrotum they probably say "privates" or something like that.

I would definitely talk to the teacher and try to be calm and see how the conversation went from her point of view. She may have been having a pleasant conversation with your daughter and just happened to use the words mommy milk instead of breast milk, and your daughter picked it up.

[littlemizflava]

i dont think a teacher should be telling any child to say a cute name insted of the proper name for anything

[junipermuse]

As a former preschool teacher and current preschool assistant director, I would never tell a child not to say breastmilk. In general as long as the children are engaged in a serious discussion and not just using words for attention seeking, then I respect all words that they or their families use proper or cutsie or slang. I often use it as an opportunity for the children to learn how many words can be used to talk about the same thing. And it's a lesson in diversity, every family is different in some ways and the same in some ways. If a case does arise in which we ask a child not to use a certain word, we always notify the parents so they can be on the same page. It is really inappropriate for the school to ask your daughter not to say breastmilk without discussing it with you.

That being said I would definitely talk to the teacher or director. But approach it as information gathering. Don't assume they told her not to say "breastmilk" they may have just pointed out that different people have different words for the same thing. It is very common for preschool children to want to test out new words to see if they have the same meaning to everyone. She may have wanted to see if you thought that breastmilk and mommymilk are the same.

If it turns out the school did ask her to say "mommymilk" instead of "breastmilk" I would fight against it. It does make it sound like "breast" is a dirty word and that is horrible message to give a child.

On a side note, I will be having a baby later this month and when I go back to work I know that the issue of what my baby eats will eventually become a topic of interest to the children (they have been very interested in my pregnant belly) when it comes up I will probably use to the term "mama's milk" because I feel that I have a greater responsibility than any child or parent does to not offend families at the school. But I would always validate any other child's or parent's use of the term "breastmilk"

[lissabob]

I agree, ask in a non-defensive way first and then go from there. I can see problems for us in the future because I've taught Meleah some "correct" words, and she will often talk about her vagina (or 'gina as she says ). I know technically it should be vulva, but she couldn't say that yet when we first brought it up. She does call breasts booboos (because that is where her booboo milk comes from lol) though she sometimes says booby thanks to dh. Anyways, point is, I don't think any of those terms (or bm) are offensive and a preschool would have a hard time convincing me that is would be wrong for dd to say them.