I am a big fan of old wives tales and Mother Goose rhymes. As I was cleaning out the closet in my youngest son’s room to turn the room into an office, I came across a Disney encyclopedia of old wives tales and nursery rhymes called Hodge Podge. I remember buying it for the kids and I remember reading it to them a lot, especially my youngest.
It seemed like every day I was reading the “Monday’s Child.”
Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
But the child that is born on a Sunday,
Is bonnie and blithe, and good and gay.
This rhyme was first recorded in A. E. Bray’s Traditions of Devonshire (Volume II, pp. 287–288) in 1838 and was based on folk tales of a child’s fortune according to the day they were born. When I read the poem I was hoping to be a Monday’s child, but it turned out I was a Saturday’s child.
While researching “Monday’s Child,” I found it published in a collection of Mother Goose tales. Mother Goose tales were told in France and England in the 1590s. They were published in the United States in 1786. There are many, many tales of Mother Goose. Most are just fun rhymes, some have morals, and some just retell ideas from the past, like “Monday’s Child.”
Mother Goose tales are a great way to get kids interested in words and reading. They are fun stories, they rhyme, and they are easy to read. Albert Einstein said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
This summer, the Center for Lifelong Learning will host a Kids’ Enrichment Challenge, Monday – Thursday, June 12-15, from 9:00 a.m. to noon for the child who loves to learn – even in the summer! Reading and mathematical abilities will be further advanced through challenging, enriching, and thought-provoking activities. Critical-thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning skills will also be incorporated into each fun and exciting day. This camp is a MUST for every child who thrives on academic challenges and social interaction. Recommended age: Rising 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. You can register for this program online at www.athens.edu/cll or call us at 256-233-8262.
The Center is offering many camps this summer. If you have not registered, don’t wait too long. Three camps are already filled. Camps are offered in Athens and at the Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur. Children from age 5 and up can come to camp. Camps are designed for specific age groups for better learning and safe fun.
For the whole family, we will be offering the Songwriters Showcase – The Story Behind the Song. This concert is Friday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Alabama Center for the Arts, 133 Second Ave. NE, Decatur. Get your tickets online at www.athens.edu/cll or call us at 256-233-8260.
Never stop learning at the Center for Lifelong Learning.
By: Wanda Campbell
Center for Lifelong Learning – 121 South Marion Street, Athens, AL 35611 – 256-233-8262
