'The traditional lullaby is dying out' discuss

[EssenceOfJack]

BBC News just did a segment on this, about how now parents 'don't know' traditional lullabies and instead sing pop songs and tv themes instead

I don't doubt that some 'modern day' songs are being sung to kids, although the parents singing James Blunt need a stern talking too, but having a singer on acting as if she is going to save them from extinction and then singing a rubbish version of 'rock a bye baby' had me very
I mean it's rubbish, isn't it? We all know the songs and sing them every so often, and doesn't every kids cd come with 'traditional' lullabies like twinkle twinkle + rocka bye?

Am also very confused by their disparaging comments about modern songs and then running VT with members of the public singing lullabies, and had someone sing somewhere. That ain't traditional!

It was cringworthy wasn't it? I also think the whole idea that parents dont know lullabies is rubbish, I have about 3 or 4 books with twinkle twinkle in.

Rubbish. News must be slow at the moment.

oh thank god, I thought it was me! I was left feeling ever so slightly patronised and lectured to but wasn't sure if twasjust becauseI am tired!

You know before I had a kid, I would have read that and believed it. But when you are holding a baby and rocking backwards and forwards they just come out don't they? Bypasses all actual thought and goes straight for the old stuff.

Well exactly. I just loved the 'Oh my goodness, the p[arents of today are singing pop songs to the next generation, why can't we sing them traditional songs lest they all get asbo's at the age of 10 and run amok' style of the piece.
When really it was
'Here is some random singer you've never heard of and her trustafarian musician plugging their new cd, but we have to waffle for a bit as we are the BBC and don't do adverts.'

The old songs were new once

Really though, dh & I sing the songs our parents sang to ds which are a mix of 60s folk, scottish rhymes, traditional and we also sing quite a few new things, some cbeebies songs, yes [shock horror] the odd theme tune, stuff that we make up.

Twas always thus I suspect, but that won't get you on the news.

mine tend to get a medley from musicals.

was a bit concerned the night I realised I'd sung to her a song by a whore, a battered wife, and an unrequited love... seemed a bad role model of stuff for DD

I use modern songs but change the words (pathetically).

Here's my latest:

I kissed your nose
I liked it
Tasted of cherry calpol

I kissed your nose
Just to try it
Hope my HV don't mind it

A few years ago it was...

They tried to make me eat my broc'li
I said NO NO NO

And so on...

My dc had a special going to sleep song that sort of grew over a few years, and was slightly different each night as I used to include something about the day we'd had as well as the bits that became more chorus like. Dh on the other hand sang them MLK by U2 and Asleep by the Smiths. I don't know why either approach should be considered any worse than singing a nursery rhythm. If you look at the origins (or indeed some of the words) of many nursery rhymes they are interesting to say the least!

Very good NonnoMum, I do sing trad lullabies, but intersperse with 'girlfriend in a coma'. Don't ask me why?

Sorry rogue ? there

I often sing twinkle twinkle or rock a bye when I put the dc's to bed. But I do sing a version of 'Hands up' when undressing them. "hands up, baby hands up, give me your arms gimme gimme etc...."

Ah - The Smiths - if any band should be re-marketed for the baby market, they'd make a fortune...

It's true we all know Twinkle Twinkle and Rock-a-bye, but I don't think many of us know many other old traditional ones - I know I don't. And there must be many more. Which is kind of a shame, to have lost them. Though of course you can always find them again, with a bit of effort! My partner and i taught ourselves a Scottish lullabye, Hush a Bye Birdie, recently, so now we can put that in to break up the monotony of Sing a SOng of Sixpence, Scarborough Fair, and James Taylor's Sweet Baby James.

Am rubbish at remembering lyrics to songs but even I can remember nursery rhymes which is why dcs know them too. Also from an old fart teacher's point of view, there are so many refs to nursery rhymes in literature it's just good general knowledge to know these songs.

I too though sing "Hands up, baby hands up, gimme your heart..."

gunther - girlfriend in a coma has THE most gorgeous tune!

Stewie - my dh reckons he never knew any of the old nursery rhymes either, I just can't believe it, like someone else said, they just just come out of nowhere! Every now and then I go to some baby group and someone reminds me of another one and I nearly always remember the words.

Have found though that living where I do now some of the tunes and a few words are slightly different to what I learnt when young, interesting as it isn't that far away

I have a large repetoire of beautiful lullabies which I sing at least twice a day to my DD (at naptime and bedtime): Twinkle Twinkle, Rock-a-bye baby, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Barges, Brahms' lullaby, Away in a Manger, Eidleweiss, Amazing Grace etc etc etc.

However, what does DD (20 months) frequently demand? The theme tune to Gigglebiz. Gigglebiz! A programme she has watched probably 5 times in her life.

Me:
DD: Na na! Na na!
Me: ....twinkle twinkle...
DD: No! Na na! Na na!
Me: , Na na na na na na gigglebiz, na na na na...
DD: Ho ho ho!

We do compromise occassionally with the Gigglebiz tune but alternative words, viz

"na na na na na na go to bed, na na na na sleepy girl, na na na na na na time to sleep, na na na na in your cot".

etc

Gigglebiz needs a BAFTA for that theme tune! (or an Ivor Novello or whatever!)

Do you do the Gigglebiz dance as well?

Arriverderci!

My children love traditional nursery rhymes and lullabies, i don't think they will ever die out!

We couldn't remember any lullabies when DS was born (soon remedied by acquisition of tape and they all came back to us). In fact, all we could think of to sing was The Red Flag, so we sang that a lot...