Guest Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Can I ask if any of you sing baa baa black sheep in your settings or if infact it has been band. I would be very interested to here what the current stand is. Thanks
Guest Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 hope it hasn't been banned because we still sing it!
Marion Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Why should it be banned? another silly urban myth
Cait Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Surely not! We sing this with a couple more verses - baa baa white sheep, ..... one for the badger, one for the fox, one for little girl with holes in her socks baa baa brown sheep, ..... one for the donkey, one for the pig, one for the crocodile who's dancing a jig Did you know that it had to do with taxation in the middle ages? one for the master a third going to the crown, one for the dame, a further third going to the Church (mother Church) and one (and sometimes none) for the little boy who lives (or cries) down the lane.
Guest Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Surely not!We sing this with a couple more verses - baa baa white sheep, ..... one for the badger, one for the fox, one for little girl with holes in her socks baa baa brown sheep, ..... one for the donkey, one for the pig, one for the crocodile who's dancing a jig Did you know that it had to do with taxation in the middle ages? one for the master a third going to the crown, one for the dame, a further third going to the Church (mother Church) and one (and sometimes none) for the little boy who lives (or cries) down the lane. Cait, I love your extra verses, they are great!
Cait Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Just trying to be 'multi-ethnic' hehe. We write lots of our own songs because we find that if the children have had a hand in writing them then they join in a lot more
Beau Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 It certainly shouldn't be banned anywhere - it is a traditional nursery rhyme and has no racial connotations. There were a couple of perhaps well meaning but extremely misinformed nurseries a few years back that took this step and of course the media decided to completely sensationalise the whole incident. However, as Marion says the urban myth persists!
Guest Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Phew!! Don't want to go into too much detail but I had an incident in my setting on friday regarding the singing of this song/rhyme. When I delved a little deeper I was told by a colleague who works in our borough that some settings had banned it due to it not being PC. Apparently some are told in training that it is about slavery!!!
JacquieL Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Certainly not banned at all, no more than those lovely black sheep out in the fields in Lancashire. We sing Baa Baa white sheep as well but ... 'One for the kittens and one for the cats, and one for the guinea pigs to knit some woolly hats. Thank you said the kittens, thank you said the cats, thank you said the guinea pigs we love our woolly hats.
Guest Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 The childrens latest favourite is baa baa rainbow sheep!!!!!!!!!!!
Beau Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 I don't have a problem with people using different versions as long as they are also teaching children the traditional version alongside them.
Guest Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 I am so glad to hear that you all feel the same way as I do. I think the incident was completely out of hand and I am sure there will be further repercussions. I will use your support to help me keep my cool
JacquieL Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 I agree with Beau that we should always keep the traditional version of rhymes going as well as new ones.
Guest Wolfie Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Apparently some are told in training that it is about slavery!!! I'm sorry but that is absolutely ridiculous!
Guest Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 (edited) Fun that this should come up!! A collegue was saying on Friday that her mother had come back from playgroup with my collegues 2 years old daughter with a similiar tale. At singing time when the children were asked what they would like to sing my friends daughter had requested Baa, Baa Black sheep to be told the group couldn't sing about the black sheep but they would sing the other colours!! She was enquiring what our nursery's policy was on this issue. Edited October 5, 2008 by Guest
HappyMaz Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 I'm sorry but that is absolutely ridiculous! But you can see how these things are propagated can't you? We definitely sing the black version, but I also love all the other coloured versions! Bet I won't remember them come the next singing session though! Maz
Rea Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 From what I remember reading years ago, this story was thought up by the Sun as a dig at the real silliness invading our lives. It was meant to be a joke but some people thought it was a trueth and so it stuck. A bit like the egg boxes.
Shiny Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 A bit like the egg boxes. And toilet roll tubes!!
dublinbay Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 I will sing it with gusto tomorrow.....or even today!!! Didn't realise the time.
teahead Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 Found this in the depths of my comp. It's from the times in 2006 From_The_Times.docx
Beau Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 It's quite worrying to think that media hype several years ago should still be influencing the practice in some playgroups/nurseries today. I sometimes despair that people don't question these sorts of things and just accept what they are told by someone who obviously has just passed it on unthinkingly themselves. Well done Wendles for bringing the subject up - hopefully we can enlighten some people!
Guest Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 In the last nursery school I worked in 98% of children were from BME families and Baa Baa Black Sheep was one of their favourites. We never had any comments about it from parents when the children went home singing it as children love to do. When asked what they wanted to sing it was ALWAYS BBBS or Twinkle Twinkle.
Inge Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 we also sing it.. Our second verse is white sheep.. no sir, no sir no bags full, none to mend the blankets, none to mend the frocks, none to mend the little boys holes in his socks.. again ask children it is always the first one to be asked for.. Inge
Guest Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 We sing the traditional verse followed by "thankyou said the master, thankyou said he dame and thankyou said the little boy who lives down the lane." I'm a bit of a 'stickler' about pleases and thankyous!!! Salsa
Guest Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 We also sing the traditional one....and it's a regular request.
korkycat Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 We also sing Baa, Baa white sheep with 3 needles full, one to mend the jumpers , one to mend the frocks and one to mend the GREAT BIG HOLE in.................'s socks. Maybe a bit old fashioned now - people don't seem to mend things anymore! Children love it though. korkycat
Marion Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 The rhyme probably dates back to the Middle Ages, possibly to the 13th Century, and relates to a tax imposed by the king on wool. One-third went to the local lord (the 'master'), one-third to the church (referred to as the 'dame') and about a third was for the farmer (the 'little boy who lives down the lane').
Guest Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 spoke to the person in question today and apparetnly it is about slavery as is mulberry bush and something else as well. SHe said it was brought up in her training! SHe was adamant that it was offensive and definately about slavery
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