Mutterings that Matter

Monday, August 07, 2006

Still nursing the rhyme

Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again!

Hush-a-bye, baby,in the tree top.

When the wind blows,the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks,the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby,cradle and all.

Little Miss Muffet, sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Solomon Grundy,
Born on Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday:
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy.

Don't be surprised this is not a nursery class that I am taking. Yesterday while on a family outing my sister and wife brought out this interesting facet of nursery rhymes we so lovingly teach our kids. Did we realise that most of the popular rhymes that are taught have some element of pain, fear, morbidity attached to them. Our kids are subliminally exposed to negativity so early in their lives. I'm not an authority on how kids learn but I'm sure with my common place thinking that this will have some impact on their growth as individuals.

If Rock Music can do the damage with messages that are subliminal then why not nursery rhymes that are considered harmless. I remember learning all the above and I wonder if my fears are in some way a manifestation of what I learnt while in pre school. Am I still nursing the effects of the rhymes I learnt?

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