Rock-a-Bye

Having always enjoyed a good sing song with my children, I was really pleased when watching Teachers TV a few evenings ago to hear that children from "musically alive" homes grow up singing and responding to music more freely than children from families where singing and music is not regularly shared. I thought it was quite common for parents to sing with and to their children and assumed it was only the children many of us like to classify as "disadvantaged" whose parents do not. But, after asking a few of my friends (not the disadvantaged ones, of course!) whether they sing with their children and make up songs as I do with Little Z and Big J, they all said they don't. I felt quite pleased with myself.

So, I guess it is no wonder then, that yesterday after singing a couple of songs with Big J (ones he knows from nursery) I started singing wind the bobbin up, he does not join in, but instead bursts loudly into, "TF TF CH, TF TF CH" (come on, use your imagination, I am doing my best phonics effort here!) "We will, we will rock you!" He has been singing a few well known Queen songs for a while now and although I think it is quite sweet, I always thought that most children must do the same and that it isn't really anything that special. Now, I am not too sure how common it is. Actually, I don't care too much either.

I now take him to Mini Maestros conveniently run by a friend of mine. It not only gives me an opportunity to spend some time with Big J and therefore not feel so guilty about putting him into day nursery all week, but has also let me see him in a different way. I expected him to be very outgoing and loud, singing and playing instruments confidently. However, he was much more reserved and hardly joined in at all the first week. I'm really glad he has a quieter and calmer side to his personality. This will certainly be useful when he starts school next September.


Interesting song fact:
Did you know that the Grandfather Clock got its name from the song "Grandfather's Clock"? If you are as sad as me and want to know the words to that song (unless you are even sadder and can remember them all!) you can find them here. (Which is also where I found out that interesting fact) There are more verses than I remember, must have day dreamed a lot in music!