Why I blame Mother Goose

I think that everyone has heard of Mother Goose, right? Hard not to have heard Mother Goose if you grew up in the US. 


Part of our current 1st grade curriculum has Mother Goose as part of our daily reading. They (writers of said curriculum) wanted me to purchase this new book and follow along with which poems I was to read each day. There is no activity that goes with it, just poetry and nursery rhyme introduction.


Soooo, since I'm not a complete follower...


I pulled out the Mother Goose book that I got when I was 3. Suffice to say, it is older than 10 years old. Maybe even 20. (ya, just checked the copyright...1954...but that's not how old I am thank you..)


But you can't actually change MG, right? I mean Nursery Rhymes DO remain the same right?


So, when it says to read page 9, I can just pull out a random poem and read...RIGHT???


Someone agree with me here, or it will totally blow the image I have of myself as a somewhat responsible person.


Today, I flipped the book open to find something on the fly that I recognized.


Here was what we read:


"There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
She had so many children she didn't know what to do (I hear ya sister!)
She gave them some broth without any bread;
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed"


If you don't see the part where I may have gasped, you just don't understand me at all. 


Had nothing to do with her house, I'll give you that one for free.


And I'm not saying that her kids didn't deserve it either.


I'm saying that all 3 of the kids just sat and stared at me when I said "She WHIPPED them all soundly and put them to bed". 


Then I caught myself - "I mean wiped. She cleaned up their faces".


Not that I am opposed to letting my kids in on the simple fact that the Old Woman felt overwhelmed and the kids needed a good whipping or anything. I mean, she was OLD. And she had A LOT of kids (the picture shows 17 ages 10ish and under).


I just wasn't quite prepared for that right after our morning devotion about how it makes God happy when we are in charge of things and take care of them (such as animals, children, trees and flowers).  


Because I don't think that is what God meant as a lead in to the Old Woman's naughty kids.


I think I might actually need to hand pick (pre-read more like) my Nursery Rhymes and Mother Goose Rhymes. 


Or get a good therapist.... because here is another one you might like.


"Little Nancy Etticoat,
With a white petticoat,
and a red nose;
She has no feet or hands, (focus on this line as what I would have to explain to my peeps)
The longer she stands
The shorter she grows."


I will stick with Little Miss Muffet I think...