Mary Had A Little Lamb, Bobby Had A Baby Goat

Was there really a person named Mother Goose? Nobody seems to know for sure. This rich collection of folk songs and rhymes has been with us for generations. Many rhymes have changed over the years as they are passed down from parent to child. The continued popularity of the rhymes suggests they will be part of our literary heritage for many more generations.

The rhyming words and singsong quality of nursery rhymes can help teach children prereading skills. The words, which sometimes don't make sense to children, are usually less important. But the words, which were written in a different time, may carry subtle messages that parents may find objectionable.

Consider the messages about boys and girls in popular Mother Goose rhymes. Girls are flower tenders and frightened curd eaters. Boys, in contrast, are kings, candlestick jumpers, and scholars. Girls get stuck in pumpkin shells. Boys dash off to adventures. Girls nurture children. Boys don't. Girls can cry. Boys cannot.

Even though the message is subtle, nursery rhymes can affect the way children think about themselves and others. As caregivers, we have a responsibility to assist children in the growing-up process without nurturing bias toward gender, color, age, or religion. In their formative years, children should hear about equality, love, responsibility, and respect for living things and resources.

Mother Goose has survived because of its musical and poetic merit, not because of the words. The message can be updated without taking away the joy of the meter and rhyme. When singing songs and reading books, take time to change any words that show disrespect for or stereotype others.

Consider how changing a few words sends a totally different message in the following rhymes. The rhymes come from the book *Father Gander Nursery Rhymes*.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the horses, women, and men
Put Humpty Dumpty together again.


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.

Jack and Jill went up the track
To fetch the pail again.
They climbed with care, got safely there,
And finished the job they began.

Jack, be nimble! Jack, be quick!
Jack, jump over the candlestick!
Jill, be nimble! Jump it, too!
If Jack can do it, so can you.

Some of the revised rhymes, although creative, will make you chuckle a bit. Although the message has been updated, it seems to lose something in the translation. Like this one:

Jack Spratt could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean.
And so between the two of them, they licked the platter clean.

Both Spratts, I'm sure of that, much better off would be
To leave the fat upon the plate and be cholesterol-free.

It takes time to modify traditional nursery rhymes, but the effort will be worth it. Being sensitive to the feelings of others is one of the most important things we can teach young children.

When selecting books, carefully consider the messages sent by both the pictures and the words. And don't forget to sensitize yourself and others to the subtle messages sent by traditional career labels. Terms such as firefighter, police officer, and mail carrier send the message that girls and boys have an equal chance in these important occupations. Finding a new term is not always easy. Any suggestions for an alternative to "snowman?"

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. DeBord, K. (1995). Mary Had a Little Lamb, Bobby Had a Baby Goat. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), *Child care connections*, 2(1), Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.