How to Explain Mother Goose

Showing a child a Mother Goose rhyme will help you explain her.

When you have children, you have to explain a lot of things as they grow up. Some things are easier to explain than others. Explaining Mother Goose is one of those easier topics. Since children have a tendency to zone out when parents talk to them, it is best to explain Mother Goose in an imaginative and fanciful way.

Instructions

1. Repeat a Mother Goose rhyme to your child, such as "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," "Little Bo Peep" or "Jack and Jill."

2. Show your child a picture book with the Mother Goose rhymes you have familiarized her with.

3. Show your child two different pictures of Mother Goose. She is usually depicted as an old woman or as a goose wearing a bonnet. Tell her no one really knows what Mother Goose looks like.

4. Tell your child that Mother Goose is very old, having lived a long time ago in France when there were kings and queens. The first time the name Mother Goose was thought to be written down was in the 1600s in France.

5. Explain to her no one really knows Mother Goose's true identity. Tell her Mother Goose is just a collector of children's rhymes.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on how old your child is, you can add bits of fancy to your explanation. For example, when you say no one knows Mother Goose's true identity, tell her it's the same way with the Easter Bunny.

References

• St. Petersburg, Fl.: Class Acts: Applying the Arts to Education: Mother Goose A Pocketful of Rhymes
• Capella University: Mother Goose Origins