AIBU to not understand the appeal of Wind the Bobbin up?

[Greengage1983]

As in the nursery rhyme. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the Wind the Bobbin up. It’s fine. I have fond memories of singing it myself as a child.

But. I have 2 young children, and we have now lived in 3 separate towns in different parts of the country, and attended dozens of different baby and toddler groups, library singalong sessions, nurseries etc. over the years, and it seems like there are loads of very old traditional nursery rhymes from my childhood (in the early 90s) that seem to have dropped off in popularity that I never hear anymore, which have been replaced by more modern songs, while Wind the Bobbin Up seems to appear at Every. Single. Session. Of Every. Single. Group. Why that song in particular? Do children even know what a bobbin is? Why not, say, Sing a Song of Sixpence, which I don’t think I’ve heard once at a group? Or ring a ring o’ roses - great fun to dance in a circle? Or oranges and lemons - exciting with the arches and the “chop off your head” bit. Or the Hokey Cokey, which was so much fun but I hardly ever hear these days? Can anyone explain what Wind the Bobbin Up has that other traditional nursery rhymes don’t? Also feel free to mention any nursery rhymes from your own childhood that you never hear anymore.

YABU - wind the bobbin up is better than other nursery rhymes and it’s perfectly understandable that it has stuck around when others have not. OR, I have not noticed this phenomenon.

YANBU - I have noticed this, and I don’t understand it either.

I’d never even heard of wind the bobbin up til I had my second child who’s now 11, I wonder if it’s the actions that they like? Some of the longer songs and rhymes are tricky to remember the words to so I get why they aren’t singing some of your suggestions, equally ring of roses is about the plague and the other is weird as it’s about a load of churches in London and then beheading so perhaps a bit unsavoury for children to be singing a bit like rub a dub dub . But there are some simple more innocuous ones I’ve not heard in years like 1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive and I’m not sure why they don’t.

We didn't have Wind the Bobbin Up when I was at playschool. But I think YABU because some of the alternatives you are suggesting are less suitable for non-mobile babies, who are a major target audience for these kinds of groups. They need to be at least 18 months to be able to dance round in a circle, and frankly my sensitive 4 year old is possibly only just ready for the hideous trauma of Oranges and Lemons. Whereas clapping and pointing at the ceiling are within the skillset of even quite small children.

However, my small DS was desperately trying to request Wheels on the Bus at the library singalong the other day and they didn't do it. Gutted.

I quite like Miss Polly Had A Dolly. DCs love the Hokey Cokey but I'm not sure why because I fucking hated it as a child.

Im not sure but my child seems to love it. Not interested in most songs but as soon as I start that one is transfixed 🤣

I’ve never agreed with anything more.

Why is it so popular? I don’t even remember singing it myself as a child - meanwhile most of the ones we did sing have vanished.

It is, as you say, everywhere.

My DC are in their teens / 20s now and this is one of the only songs from their / my childhood that I could confidently sing and remember the actions. There must be something hypnotic about it!

The appeal of Wind the Bobbin Up is that it is a simple rhyme with easy actions. It's a great way to to interact with your little one at a group, especially when they are too young for large movements like dancing in a circle.

My Dds loved it and fondly remember it (now 23+25) as the "poo, poo, crap, crap, crap" song. 😆😆

It’s just one of many nursery rhymes that combine learning of the song with an action which promotes fine and gross motor learning and also hand eye coordination. It’s also pretty short compared to a lot of other songs of the same ilk so it’s very popular.

I've never heard of Wind the Bobbin up!

The one that used to drive me mad was The Wheels on the bus. Fun the first 50 times I heard it but wore thin after that.

Having said that I love it when i'm in the library and the library sing alongs are happening and i can listen to the wee ones enjoying themselves It's true OP though i don't hear the traditional rhymes i grew up with or even the ones I learnt when my son was young.

I'm assuming it's a UK song, as I'd never encountered it until I had my child while living in England. Is it about the drudgery of children working in cotton mills in the 19thc? I always thought so, and imagined 19thc cottonworker mothers drearily singing it to their babies before the 1833 Factory Act meant no under-nines could be employed, knowing it was their future.

(Though have just googled, and Wiki says it's Dutch?)

Playgroups near us always did a mix of older ones - the grand old Duke of York, teddy’s bear picnic, round and round the garden, ba ba black sheep. Plus wind the bobbin and newer stuff.

My DC went through a phase of really loving wind the bobbin up and ba ba black sheep. We had those on repeat. Drove me insane. Could not get why they loved wind the bobbin!

Some of the ones you’ve mentioned are more advanced. Toddlers can’t really do arches with each other as well as the basic motions for wind the bobbin.

I honestly don’t know. My 4yo was never buzzed over it (but LOVED hop little bunnies and wheels on the bus) but my 1yo loses her damn mind over it, she’s just so excited every time I sing it, so sing it I do, repeatedly, every day. Also five little speckled frogs sat on a speckled log and five little ducks went swimming one day…

Ah yes… aka by me as “Wind the mummy up, wind the mummy up….”

It's because of all the actions that go with the song.

There aren't very many actions to sing a song of sixpence and they certainly wouldn't sing about chopping anyone's head off.

I used to love this one, I think it’s the actions that appeal.

used to love “head shoulders “ and “bobbing up and down like this” too

Wind the bobbin up is an absolutely slamming tune and you can't convince me otherwise 😂

I completely agree. It didn't exist when I was a child (I'm in my 40s, grew up near London), so I had no idea what was going on when I went to my first baby group. Why is it so popular?!

It does bore me. But I remember my son doing the actions and singing something approximating the song when he was absolutely tiny. And I guess that's the thing. It seems to appeal to very small people who aren't yet at the stage they could manage ring a ring a roses etc

Once they were older mine loved hop little bunnies , wheels on the bus, old MacDonald and all the other songs. But I definitely recall being impressed how early they clicked with a song I found so utterly dull!

I was singing Oranges and Lemons with DD when she was little and when we got to 'the bells of Stepney' she stopped and said, that's not very fair is it mummy.
I said what's not fair and she said, 'All the bells 'cept me'.

Ah cute 😂

🤣🤣 this made me laugh. It was a stable when my 9 & 6 year olds were babies. I actually sang it to my six year old the other day when he wasn’t feeling well and wanted a cuddle. It’s pointless but the children felt properly included with the actions.

The one that was particularly unpopular at the playgroup I was involved in running, but which was always demanded by the children, was the Grand Old Duke of York, because of a bunch of exhausted, underslept parents having to throw the children in the air.

I'd never heard of it till had my children are groups - thought it was a nod to northern location we were then in.

Then we moved nearer to where I grew up and it was there as well - though slightly less popular.

But I agree many of the one I knew had fallen out of fashion. I did quite like it though - easy to do and nice actions and didn't have to get up and down with multiple children - which made it easier in the small sure start rooms - made less difference in the old large church halls.

The babies and toddlers like the actions. Sleeping bunnies was my favourite when we went to toddler groups 🐰

I think the tune is really odd and doesn't 'complete' really. But I like singing about old fashioned stuff, that's how we remember it (ring a ring a roses etc). And the actions are good.