In not really liking my mum singing Christian songs to my baby?

presumably DC because they like them and find them comforting. my mother used to sing me some beautiful songs before i went to bed, and taught me the harmonies. It does wonders for your musical education [ not the happy clappy stuff] And black gospel churches have produced some of the finest soul singers ever. So you could argue that without sacred music we would be severely lacking culturally. Though is suspect you might be tone deaf.

DC, as a non-Christian, why are you so keen to sing non-Christian songs to your children? As a British person (I presume) why are you so keen to sing British songs?

People act within their frame of reference. It doesn't necessarily indicate a suspect desperate desire to 'get'em while they're young', although that may be the motivation for the OP's mum.

Sorry to keep veering off the point.

Pointy, how do you think today's generation of Scots know about that sixth never sung verse of the national anthem? (given that the vast majority of the country only know the first verse, let alone the occasionally sung second verse?) Only because other people tell them about it. If people stopped saying, "hey did you know there's a verse of the national anthem about crushing the Scottish", then it would disappear into the mists of time and all you would be left with is the fact that that verse in practice no longer exists because it was obviously recognised long ago to be offensive and non-inclusive.

It does of course beg the question of why Christians are so keen on getting young children to sing their songs ?

my dad never brainwashed me into being non-religious, my mum was quite religious, so i had the best of both worlds if you like, he taught me how to question and debate though, a great asset to a child trying to learn

no pointy, i can't control the bollocks he will hear at school, but at least i can start to help him NOT to believe in all the bollocke he hears

urban, i was also really quite religious (no idea why) until i started to question things at school, of course the fact my dad always questioned everything helped too, as parents it helps to encourage children not take everything as it is dished out to them

"it's hard to dance with the devil on yoiur back"

always did freak me out though

I think that's bolleaux.

Singing songs about god and santa and the devil at school age 4 will be hunky dory but hearing them at home age 3 will lead to indoctrination?

sorry pointy meant "yes" in agreement to your last post, not "no" !!

no pointy, i am an atheist, dh believes in god, but does not follow any religion, so it would seem a bit fake if we talked about religion at home, i don't wish to keep ds away from anything, apart may be from gambling, drugs and wars, other than that, he is free to choose political inclinations or religious beliefs

Thought you meant keeping it away altogether, yellow. You just mean not introducing it to the mix yourself

ah but pointy, he is going to get contact re. religions at school, he doesn't need to be taken to church every sunday and told bible stories at age 3 which is what MIL wants to do !

my father was an atheist, hated preachers and all religions with a passion, but somehow i managed to read the bible, old and new twice and was very curious about all religions right thro' school until i became a communist aged 13 - does that mean i should be teaching ds about communism NOW (he is 3) incases he misses out on it and won't be able to choose later on ?

i wouldn't allow songs re. satan or santa, we don't devil worship nor make a big song and dance about xmas, so i guess ds will have an exceptionally boring childhood being told things as they really are

But when they are old enough to choose, how will they know what they are choosing if they have been allowed no contact with it?

Sheesh, loosen the grip on your children

no urban - not unreasonable at all. my mil is very religious and i have sent messages thro' dh that my son will not be brainwashed into any kind of religion, i don't care how old. my niece has a catholic mother and i have often heard her say this or that about Jesus Christ or singing hymns (she goes to a Catholic school) which always makes me quite sad, beacuse i am certain she doesn't really understand any of it, esp. once when i heard her talk about "sin" (yeh, right, as though a 9 year old understands sin !!)

so, yes, keep religion away please, we will get to it when they are old enough to choose !

"A simple, easy way to make kids think of something as "sad" is to associate it with really old people, who aren't celebrities"

yes DC, thats a great idea! If you want to teach your child a set of values that looks down on those who are old and not "famous". You could encourage them to despise black people, Jews or disabled people as well

With all due respect to the granny involved, I invite you to think of how you would go about making your child see Christianity as a bad thing.
It's years before you can use the lack of evidence for Jesus actually existing, or the horrors of religiously inspired wars from the Crusades to Bush.
A simple, easy way to make kids think of something as "sad" is to associate it with really old people, who aren't celebrities, and maybe even babyish.
IE you'd want religion to be associated with your mum.

Occasionally Tnogu!
i know Franny - I had to stop my dad singing 'on Ilkley Moor Bar Tat' to ds because it makes me shudder...

Ruty - your dad sounds pretty cool

yes you are being unreasonable. do you seriously think that you can stop your child hearing or reading about anything you personally disapprove of until he is "older"? Are you going to ban him from watching TV or going to nursery or school?

I know! It has got a cracking melody and singalong chorus and he gets carried away, I think. He is folk musician and knows 3000 trad songs - 75% of which seem totally unsuitable for children

now there i would draw the line Franny!