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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cbeebies bedtime prerun: to want a child to sing (even slightly) in tune?

26 replies

AsYouWere · 04/01/2010 11:38

This was brought to my attention by my DS 4yrs. He started to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star when the CBeebies bedtime 'advert' if you like came on. The child who is singing the song starts OK ish and then rapidly loses any tune and it's just words with an out of tune noise. My DS asked me why the child couldn't remember the tune and said he couldn't sing it with them 'making it up'.

It was pretty poor. Not a cricicism of the actual child. I know they are not opera singers at 4 yrs, but I think it would be nice to at least hear the tune??

Ok, I'll brace myself for the mud-slinging now...go ahead!

OP posts:
Bessie123 · 04/01/2010 11:40

I completely agree, that is a particularly unmusical child they have used. I don't know why either, plenty of toddlers/young children can sing in tune, it's very odd.

SolidGoldBloodyJanuaryUrgh · 04/01/2010 11:46

I absolutely hate that too. WHY on earth pick a tone-deaf kid to bawl discordantly like that unless it's just to hurt parents (and musical DC's) ears?
Can't help thinking that the honking infant must be the PFB of a Cbeebies producer.

chocolaterabbit · 04/01/2010 13:24

I know. I think it is meant to sound cutsie but is incredibly irritating especially as some of the out of tuneness sounds almost deliberately crap.

mum2all · 04/01/2010 13:33

Most children only have 2 notes (nee nah - like a siren) until they are around 4 and then can take until they are at least 7 to have a full 5 note range. Think maybe you are being a little harsh. I'm a nursery teacher and have to say sounds a lot closer to a real group of 3-5 year olds singing than you think

Bramshott · 04/01/2010 14:06

Ooh, we were moaning about this yesterday!

RainRainGoAway · 04/01/2010 14:08

Agree - my DD could sing fairly tunefully at a young age and DS is pretty much in tune and word perfect at TTLS age 2!

They could have made a little more effort. After all, Shirley Temple at age 5 was doing some fairly remarkable song and dance numbers! (OK, she had a hellish childhood!)

eastendmummy · 04/01/2010 14:08

I'm so glad it's not just me that thinks this. I hate listening to it every night! Why didn't they just get an older child or an adult to sing it if a young child can't?

gerontius · 04/01/2010 14:10

What's a full 5 note range?

becklespeckle · 04/01/2010 14:12

My DD is almost 2 and is far more tuneful than that child! (although not word perfect unless singing along with me).

SolidGoldBloodyJanuaryUrgh · 04/01/2010 14:45

DS could sing just about in tune at 2. Some kids can sing better than others (just as some can run faster, are bigger, etc, same with adults) so WHY did they pick one incapable of carrying a tune in a bucket?

nannynobnobs · 04/01/2010 15:17

My DD started singing a song about ducks in the bath yesterday- I'd never heard her sing it before- she is 3 and got all the notes wonderfully right!

Miggsie · 04/01/2010 15:22

Yes, that singing is TERRIBLE!

I'm all for equality of opportunity, but a child who can hit more than 3 notes, and not be a tone flat on the notes they do hit would be nice!

My dreadfully cynical side wonders if it is the child of one of the production crew...

I was just thinking recently how nice it was that they have Kerri the presenter now who can sing (poor Pui was lovely but she could not sing one bit), and then this terrible song come sup.

I wonder if the link producer who chose the child is also tone deaf?

FlightAttendant · 04/01/2010 15:24

I think it's a lovely little voice, and ends up being a pleasant minor third down from the real tune, which sounds fine until you reach the rather maudlin final note.

My 2yo sings along, copying the notes, so I would rather it were sung to the correct tune really as he is going to think it sounds funny yet is meant to be like that.

I don't know why some people assume most children can't sing, cos many of them can and in tune. I'm sure they could have found one that didn't make it sound kind of modal.

But I don't care that much...I think it's sweet.

Bessie123 · 04/01/2010 15:49

Kerrie had intensive singing lessons when she started that presenting job

My dd can also sing twinkle twinkle in tune, at 2. Her amazingly musical little friend was singing in tune (without the words, obviously) at 5 months, unbelievable.

Perhaps they have picked the only small child in the world who is completely tuneless.

Original poster
AsYouWere · 04/01/2010 17:26

I think that as children learn by imitating, the fact that they have a out of tune 'tune' to mimic / imitate / call it what you will - doesn't really help their development.

Mum2All - point taken, and I'm not being too harsh as I too work with nursery children, and some can keep tune really well. Children need to hear a note correctly to tune their ear too. If the wrong words / grammer are used we correct them. If something is repeated continously wrong, then the child learns something incorrectly and this reinforces incorrect learning in their memory groove.

CBeebies - get a grip!!!

OP posts:
Bessie123 · 06/01/2010 12:49

Urgh, following asyouwere's post I now have to sing twinkle twinkle very loudly over the top of that tone deaf child on cbeebies in case it un-teaches my dd how to sing in tune. DD (2) looks at me like I am mental.

Original poster
AsYouWere · 06/01/2010 13:33

Bessie: LOL!!!

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 06/01/2010 13:38

Bessie I do that too Although I tend to mute it and sing instead. DS doesn't notice, but then I am always singing inane things at him

It grates in the same way as children's programmes which don't use proper words or grammar for things. (e.g. "Yojojo LOVE spinning. Chibis help Noktok do spinning." on Waybuloo) Fine, it might be more realistic, but they do pick up things from everywhere so IMO modelling the correct way to sing/speak/etc is important.

Bessie123 · 06/01/2010 13:43

BertieBotts you're right, it is stupid when they don't use proper grammar. I hate how that Waybuloo magazine has stories with the stupid grammar and incorrect syntax; I always correct it if I'm reading to dd.

hairygodmother · 06/01/2010 14:23

Bessie and Bertie - we go one step further in our house and I get both my dds (3.11 and 1.9) to join in and we all sing over it, in tune I might add! Maybe we're lucky that our children can hold a tune but honestly, CBeebies could have found one who could too!

bluesheep · 06/01/2010 15:00

I caught DD1 (who's 2) calling DD2 (who's 5 months) a cheebie yesterday. No more Waybuloo for her then!

Also DD1 can't sing worth crap, but she can do that chant thing from the darts (do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do, OI-OI-OI) and put the OI's in the right place. Her daddy is so proud!

Original poster
AsYouWere · 06/01/2010 20:09

LOL Bluesheep!!

I think there is a difference between realistic and children developing with some chance of getting grammer right. I haven't watched Waybuloo - just the few seconds I saw it was enough for me to switch it off.

DS loves Thuderbirds (the original 60's puppet version), so I get quotes about firing retros (said in an American accent).

OP posts:
groundhogs · 06/01/2010 22:08

ARGGGHHH, it drives both DS and myself potty...

Bertiebotts - MUTING!! Fantastic idea... will do that for sure!

Surely someone knows someone we can talk to, and get it changed, it's just AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL!

Original poster
AsYouWere · 07/01/2010 19:47

So does anyone know if we could ask for it to be changed? I'd send them a request...

OP posts:
Bessie123 · 11/01/2010 09:19

We could try...

Maybe that tone deaf child was the only one they could actually get to sing in front of a load of strangers and recording equipment on demand.