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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to sing harmonies in toddler music sessions?

291 replies

PrincessPotsie · 05/07/2014 02:01

Am I turning into one of those annoying mums? I always remember a v annoying dad doing sit ups during 'Row Row Row Your Boat' at a playgroup I once went to. He definitely was BU...

OP posts:
slithytove · 05/07/2014 02:15

Yes, very, this would strike me as majorly show off.

YABU.

Singsongmama · 05/07/2014 02:17

Quietly and occasionally into toddlers ear- YANBU
Belting it out like a Mercedes from Glee - YABU and may be considered a numpty

I love music class - we all croak along - ain't no Celine Dions at my group.

Smile
BOFster · 05/07/2014 02:38

Erm, yes, YABU- I presume the point of you joining in at all is to model the actual melody for the toddlers present?

There are loads of adult singing groups around if you want to be a bit more ambitious.

Am I missing some fun irony thing? Sorry.

diggerdigsdogs · 05/07/2014 02:39

You would absolutely BU.

I would assume you were a twat.

ElleBellyBeeblebrox · 05/07/2014 02:41

Chuckle. Thankyou.
Obviously YABU and ridiculous, but at least now I will have the perfect example to use when trying to illustrate just why I don't always like going to baby music groups.

AgentZigzag · 05/07/2014 02:45

A good measurement of unreasonableness would be what the other parents/children do when you start up the harmonies. Them starting to go along with you and congratulations afterwards at your talent and confidence would be good, sitting open mouthed and deadly silence/odd child starting to grizzle, probably not good.

Maybe you could start off singing row your boat in rounds?

SignYourName · 05/07/2014 02:59

YABU but thank you for giving me a giggle - for some reason I started picturing this as a scene from a British comedy film (in the About A Boy / Four Weddings style) and imagining the rest of the group gradually falling silent and staring at you while you warble away, oblivious.

SagaNorensLeatherTrousers · 05/07/2014 03:05

YABU. We had a lady do this at ours, comes across as totally self-unaware mixed with Performance Parenting. Annoying.

oxygenna · 05/07/2014 03:09

Just you attempting the harmonies? Not so impressive sounding as you might think Grin So yes yabu

I would assume you'd got the wrong end of the stick somewhere and were oblivious.

QuizzicalCat · 05/07/2014 03:18

I have a toddler. I also teach singing and lead various choirs. I can sing harmony to anything.

I would roll my eyes and think 'get over yourself you show off'.

Time and place. Toddler group is neither. It's for fun, if you can carry a tune, great! Carry the bloody TUNE. It reduces the amount of people thinking 'twat' in your general direction.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/07/2014 03:20

Yanbu at all, thought the toddlers were signing harmonies Shock. The adults oh dear, they should join a choir if they want to sing.

Bogeyface · 05/07/2014 03:24

H does this and it is such knobbish behaviour. He thinks he is just doing it because it sounds good, I know he is doing it to show off. He thinks he is the star, I know that he is the knob.

Stop it, you dont want to be "that" mother. Although....you may already be.

Noteventhebestdrummer · 05/07/2014 03:44

I had a woman who was worse than this at my toddler classes. She improvised descants to final phrases.
The trills on the last verse of 5 little ducks were UGLY.

TiredFeet · 05/07/2014 04:01

Toddler group definitely not the time or the place but I would be secretely delighted if you did, just because it would be so awesomely cringingly inappropriate Grin

CustardFromATin · 05/07/2014 04:49

Oh dear YABU and awful. It can be hard enough already, and plenty of our tone deaf toddlers struggle enough with the melody as it is.

On the other hand, you will be providing the other parents with much hilarity, so maybe you should just go ahead...

Original poster
PrincessPotsie · 05/07/2014 05:43

Oh dear.....so IABU then. It's back to the tune next week. Hopefully I will shrug off the 'that mum' label quickly. Grin

OP posts:
Singsongmama · 05/07/2014 05:46

I'm sure we are all 'that mum' sometimes....it's a chilling moment when you catch yourself doing it!

isitsnowingyet · 05/07/2014 05:59

Actually, if I was there, I would think 'good for you - you are a nutter' - and I wouldn't assume you were showing off or 'a knob'. So I guess I must be 'one of those Mums' who doesn't follow what everyone else thinks or says

Maybe it is possible that she is really enjoying the music???

I say 'Go for it Princess!'

Clarky365 · 05/07/2014 06:10

Grin would make laugh at you Grin

AllHailTheBigPurpleOne · 05/07/2014 06:11

Yanbu
if I were there I'd join in.
I love glee

GiniCooper · 05/07/2014 06:55

I'd cringe for you.
I'm cringing now TBH.

Tanith · 05/07/2014 07:00

At this age, when they're still learning the tune itself, you'd be an almighty distraction. Trust me: a fair few of the toddlers are going to think Confused, never mind fheir parents :)

Harness that creativity and make up some new songs. I'm sure everyone gets sick to the back teeth of Rowing that flipping Boat, drowning those Little Ducks, catching those Fishes below the Twinkling blasted Stars. Especially those of us who've been singing them weekly for 15, 20 years or more Shock

SavoyCabbage · 05/07/2014 07:01

I'd think you didn't know the tune. It would give me something to look forward too though.

Cyclebump · 05/07/2014 07:06

I do this at home to mitigate the boredom of singing the same songs over and over again.

I'd never do it at a group. When I have led a few sessions as a volunteer I've had quite a few parents say how nervous they are singing in front of people and I think getting a bit showy would completely put them off.

Egghead68 · 05/07/2014 07:07

Pretentious.