Babysitting.... HELP!

mailman

mailman

Knit-wit
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Hi, all....

My neice's kids, ages 5 & 8, are spending the night. Frankly, they're already driving me nuts. Right now they're "playing" the piano.... :eek:

They've seen my ukes, and they want me to play them some songs. I'm okay with that, but I don't know what to play.

Anyone know of some easy, strum-only, kid-friendly songs that I could do for them? You know....sing-along stuff that kids would know and like? My "baby" is thirty-four years old now....I'm out of the loop, here!

How about it....UU to the rescue....and soon? :confused:
 
Babysitting

Check out the Doctor Ukulele site and the songs list. There are a bunch of tunes there - some for us too (I'll see you in my dreams). they have the camp fire tunes and Puff the Magic Dragon and all the kitsch. they are good tabs.

Good luck and don't forget to ply them with thing their parents don't let them eat.

Great Aunt Kittie's Chocolate sauce comes to mind....

2 squares Bakers unsweetened chocolate,
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar

bring the above to a boil SLOWLY and stir constantly till it boils then stop stirring - if you keep stirring it will carmelize and set up on the ice cream.... Boil for two minutes and stir in

a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and two tablespoons of butter.

Pour over ice cream......you will be a legend.

Good luck!!
 
Anything you play will interest them. Late last year, my three year old granddaughter would run around my youngest daughter and son in law's house screaming "All My Loving". I found this out when we vacationed in the Philippines last November. My youngest son in law laughed and said, after I sang and played All My Loving, "That's where she got that phraze from!". I performed that and several other songs that we played in October at the Southern California Ukulele Festival for several impromptu audiences in the Philippines. My baby grandaughter hung around the living room watching and listening to me practice prior to the show. I had no idea how much of that music she retained. When she saw the crowds forming around me, she jumped up on stage singing most of the words to the songs with confidence and pride. Basically, if you're enjoying what you're playing the children will too. Ric
 
Thanks for the suggestions. As kids will do, they've gone on to other things. Right now they're walking around the block with my wife. Won't be long and they'll be going to bed. So, I guess no uke songs for them, after all.

I had no idea I was turning into such a curmudgeon. I knew it was happening, but I'm surprized as to the extent. As much as I'd love to say I love all little kids....these two seem to do little else other than fight.

For once, I can't wait to go to work in the morning.... :D
 
LOL! I feel for you, brother... Stay in your happy place.
 
mailman said:
Thanks for the suggestions. As kids will do, they've gone on to other things. Right now they're walking around the block with my wife. Won't be long and they'll be going to bed. So, I guess no uke songs for them, after all.

I had no idea I was turning into such a curmudgeon. I knew it was happening, but I'm surprized as to the extent. As much as I'd love to say I love all little kids....these two seem to do little else other than fight.

For once, I can't wait to go to work in the morning.... :D
Click to expand...


I'll tell you what, my kids are 6 and 9 and all they ever seem to do is fight! So, maybe we would be able to call this "developmentally appropriate" behavior that happens to drive adults nuts.

I did have a break through moment with my nine year old today. She grabbed a couple of ukes and took her friend outside to teach her some chords. If you have the chance to play around them often enough, they will stop fighting for a few minutes to actually learn something.

Kids of this age group want to learn the stuff they see adults interested in, and they still want to learn the Raffi songs. It's an interesting age.

Enjoy work tomorrow!
 
I do believe my wife may be a saint. She's playing a game of "Sorry" with them before bed.

I could have done that, but after the trip to the emergency room (for them) and the police station (for me), they'd be up past their bedtime and I'd be late for work tomorrow! :D

Thirty years will make you forget a lot about kids....
 
The Campfire Song Song!!!

Don't worry if you don't know it, they will.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al5AqKyohpE

Per Ultimate Guitar archives:

Code: 
  A#                                  Eb                              A#
"Let's Gather round the campfire,and sing our campfire song.
    A#                      C           F  
Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song,
       A#                                  Eb                              A#
And if you don't think that we can sing it faster than your wrong,
           C         C              F
But it'll help if you just sing along.
  F   G      A
Bum, Bum, Bum " 

the "Bum,Bum,Bum" is single notes  F,G,A.
 
Benadryl.


Fall back on the Beatles.
 
Thanks for all of the advice! I especially liked the Benadryl.... :D

My wife, our neice, her husband and the little darlings (;)) spent all day at the zoo today. What a shame that I got to...I mean, had to...go to work!

Truth is that the only song suggestions that I recognized would have been the Beatles tunes. The rest of them I'm completely unfamiliar with. I guess it goes along with being an old fart. Maybe my UU name should have been Curmudge-ulele.... :D

The good news is that they've gone home!
 
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