My 4 year old has NEVER shown any interest in children's songs and nursery rhymes. Tonight I find out he knows all the words, probably has done for ages...

[Platesmasher]

..but only wants to sing some sort of thrash metal stupid voice version of 5 little ducks.

He hated song time at toddler groups. Nursery told me he doesn't enjoy singing time unless it's of his own choosing ie. something by Queen and even then it's a bit chorus-y.

He was in the bath and I started to sing to his 2 year old brother. DS1 joins in with the most ridiculous voice and I am genuinely shocked that he knows the words and the tune.
I actually cried with laughter. I'm so pleased he has actually been absorbing it all along.

Why has he never sung this stuff before and will he ever sing it properly?

He starts school in a month.

TIA

Oh mine NEVER sang at circle time, he farking hated it, he doesn't perform for anyone

When I told them he sang the songs to himself at home they were incredibly surprised (and no doubt a lot more careful what they said around him, given how he could take it all in and not even show a flicker of interest... )

He sounds great.

My DS isn't keen on nursery rhymes either and hates Twinkle Little Star with a passion. He never lets me sing it and shouts "Stop stop stop mummy!" He's 2.8 and will only sing Bob the Builder and worryingly, "Rock a by baby fall down from tree fast" which is his own version of the famous verse. Oh, and Humpty Dumpty gets acted out from the top of the climbing frame to scare me to death.

is it a boy thing? my ds1 wouldn't do a thing at song time, in playgroup, nursery or school, but would also happily sing them in a mad disco-y rap in the bath (presumably for the reverb lol) or with sound effects produced by gargling/blowing/singing into the bath stacker-cups

Brilliant!

My DS seems to like both - yesterday he made me ROFL with his rendition of 'Dum-dum-dum! Another one bites the dust!'

Your DS sounds exceptional, Platesmasher! I think he'll be fine at school - and highly entertaining!

Yes, another one bites the dust is sweet the first time, maybe even for a few weeks, but when all he sings for years is that or we will rock you it gets a bit wearing.

Especially as I now discover he knows 5 little ducks and the speckled frogs one too, and some that i don't even know myself.

He also had his hair dried with the hair dryer tonight for the first time ever also. Usually runs a mile.

Maybe we're turning a corner with him.

He also ate a dried date. That's never happened before either.

Oh for a child who will try things. Just try, not run off of shut down at the prospect of anything new.

Maybe today is the day!?!?!

sounds fantastic!!

If you can figure what corner it is you turned, maybe you could send me the map?

well we moved house 500 miles two weks ago.
surely that's not it.
hardly practical parenting advice is it.

maybe we are more relaxed.

overanalysing?

he's also sporting a rather fetching black eye after falling eye first onto a step on saturday.

has sense been knocked into him?

ROFL - DD refuses to sing to most people (except, sadly, me who she sings at continually) but if you get a word wrong she tells you off. A lot.

Still can't get used to your new name platey (can you see why?)

I'll see your Queen, and raise you a Ramstein! Having a 3 (almost 4) year old singing german industrial metal is highly amusing.
I think it's the heavy beat that attracts him. I blame his dad

My DS was the same! He came home from nursery and said 'when they all wobble like a jelly on a plate-I don't wobble'. I used to go to little concerts and he would stand with his mouth closed. He knew the words.

DS1 got a comment on his report that he'll only sing when pushed into it. He really likes music though, I guess that school doesn't really have music for his taste.
LOLing at little piscesmoon refusing to wobble!

DS1 is not a wobbler either.

You can just imagine them sitting there with a jack dee sneer for all the wobbling cheerful cooperative children.

whomoved, i rather enjoyed being called smasher for short by mrsmerryhenry last night. sounds a bit better than platey don't you think?

Whatever you like you are smashing dragonbutter

lol.. when dd was 3 she used to deliberately do the wrong actions to the songs at jo-jingles and then when they used to sing the 'until the music stops' song where everyone went completely silent, she used to bang her instrument with great gusto
We stopped going soon after.. she was clearly taking the piss

thanks whomoved.

they do seem to take the piss don't they these kids troutpout.

Wtf is German industrial metal when it's at home???

Wmmc - ditto here with child correcting inept parent's rendition of songs! The attitude, I ask you. I blame the parents.