A child's recent school nativity play casting has raised eyebrows and sparked a heated debate online.
A mom found herself feeling "disgusted" after her six-year-old daughter was assigned the role of the "Innkeeper's wife" in her school's upcoming nativity performance.
The upset parent took to the parenting site Mumsnet to express her concerns, slamming the school for what she perceived as an antiquated choice and revealing that she was contemplating discussing the matter further with the school's principal.
The mom passionately vented her frustrations on the popular parenting forum, saying: "My daughter (6) has been cast as 'someone's wife' in the nativity play - the 'Innkeeper's wife' to be precise. This is not OK!"
She went on to say that nobody in our modern world should simply be identified as "someone's wife".
While usually laid-back about school matters and understanding of teachers' workloads, she felt compelled to address this issue. She stated: "No woman should be identified by her relationship to a man? Surely. I'm itching to call them out on this. Itching."
Her comments touched off a spirited discussion among Mumsnet users. While some empathized with her viewpoint, others argued that she might be overreacting, given that the nativity play is set, y'know, more than 2000 years ago.
One user bluntly expressed: "I am itching to tell you that you are being unbelievably ridiculous." Another chimed in: "I don't get the issue here I'm afraid. The play is set over 2000 years ago when women were somebody's wife."
Some took a more lighthearted approach, suggesting that she should consider herself fortunate that her daughter had a human role in the play. One user humorously shared, "It's not so bad - my son was usually livestock."
In jest, another user offered a tongue-in-cheek solution, saying: "I agree with you. She should be referred to as the Innkeeper's significant other. If not, insist your daughter is recast as a sheep."
Another echoed: "I don't see the problem either. Your daughter has an actual role and is not one of the many sheep or angels."
But perhaps the most important comment came from this user, who rightly pointed out the stress that many teachers have to deal with on a daily basis: "Good grief. I feel sorry for teachers sometimes having to manage parents like this."
I couldn't agree more.