Don’t call girls ‘princess’ or tell them they’re pretty, nursery tells parents in woke handbook

Parents have been told to stop telling their daughters they ‘look pretty’ or calling them ‘princess’ or ‘a tomboy’ by one of Britain’s largest nursery school groups.

The woke handbook – sent to parents whose children attend Bright Horizons nurseries across the UK – also cautions mums and dads against praising good behaviour, and takes pains to define girls as ‘children who identify as female’.

Urging parents to ‘reflect’ on how they raise their daughters, the advice says: ‘It is so easy to fall into a pattern of praising a girl’s appearance (“You look so pretty!”), labelling her behaviour as “good”, or congratulating her when she does something perfectly.’

Mothers and fathers are also warned against ‘falling into the trap of calling an opinionated girl “bossy” with a tone of disdain’ and told to avoid using ‘gendered’ terms.

The guide, which was emailed to parents, adds: ‘Become aware of gender stereotypes presented in the media your family consumes.

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A mother of a child at a nursery in Kent accused Bright Horizons –which runs more than 300 community and workplace nurseries in Britain – of having a Left-wing ‘campaigning agenda’

Mothers and fathers are also warned against ‘falling into the trap of calling an opinionated girl “bossy” with a tone of disdain’ by the handbook from Bright Horizons 

‘Fill your home with books, toys, and decor that do not conform to specific gender roles (eg, buy books about female construction workers and encourage girls to engage in maths and science activities). 

‘Try to eliminate gender-based references to your child, such as “princess” or “tomboy” or phrases such as, “Young ladies don’t behave that way.”’ 

A mother of a child at a nursery in Kent accused Bright Horizons –which runs more than 300 community and workplace nurseries in Britain – of having a Left-wing ‘campaigning agenda’.

She said: ‘Bright Horizons is dictating to parents their own political views on how to raise their children. They obviously have very Left-wing views in terms of gender politics and think they are entitled to tell parents how to address their daughters and what to teach them about their bodies.’

Last night, former Tory Education Minister Sir John Hayes said: ‘This daft advice from Bright Horizons will darken the horizons of little girls who cannot be called pretty or dress up as princesses, and simply enjoy their childhood the way girls have for generations.

Former Tory Education Minister Sir John Hayes said: ‘This daft advice from Bright Horizons will darken the horizons of little girls’

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‘We’ve got to let children be children and treasure their innocence, and stop preaching to them.’

A Bright Horizons spokesman said: ‘It is every parent’s personal choice about when, where and from whom to seek guidance. For those who are seeking ideas for empowering their daughters to grow into strong, confident leaders, free from potentially harmful gender stereotypes, we offer advice that encourages a focus on a girl’s attributes other than her physical appearance.’

Bright Horizons is a £4.7 billion US company which runs 1,000 facilities around the world. In the UK, fees are typically about £300 a week.

Last year, one of its nurseries in Edinburgh was fined £800,000 after ten-month-old Fox Goulding choked to death on a piece of mango while left unsupervised. Bright Horizons pleaded guilty to health and safety failings. The firm reviewed its operations and boss Ros Marshall admitted: ‘The procedures we had in place were not properly observed.’