I think I have mentioned before that my children like music. They both are however, some of the pickiest music listeners. They are usually very hesitant to try new music but once forced usually are won over by their parent's great taste in tunes.
Their first favorite is Veggie Tales, or "Bob", if you will. I know almost every word to every song ever made and I mostly enjoy listening to The Veggie Tales gang singing "O, Where Is My Hairbrush" 7 out of 10 car rides. Believe me though, sometimes I am tuned out on another planet when I can't take another round of "Silly Songs with Larry".
The other favorite of my children is Johnny Cash. It all started about a year ago when I saw the movie, Walk The Line. If you haven't seen it, please go and see it! I became a huge Johnny Cash fan and bought a few CDs. Well, I think I actually bought about 4 or 5--okay maybe 6 in about 2.5 months. What can I say, I had some Christmas cash! I could NOT stop listening to Johnny Cash. Every day, all day long the music played. Mostly old stuff--although Jon had a CD of some newer Cash music. I don't know what it was about Johnny Cash's music but it just hit my soul in a way that I have never been able to put my finger on. Perhaps it has something to do with getting in touch with my darker side. I like the novel songs--A Boy Named Sue, One Piece at a Time. I like the more spiritual songs too. The only songs that I usually skip past are the patriotic ones. (That is a whole other post!)
Two days ago we were all in the car and Isaac says, "I want to listen to Johnny Cash". Now, he is 2 years and 3 months old. He has been requesting Johnny Cash for about 6-8 months already. It started off as "Cash" when he got buckled into the carseat but as his language has developed he is becoming more specific. In the car two days ago the sentence that followed the one above was, "I want to listen to Ring of Fire". A first time request for that specific song. Usually it is for Jackson. In 20 or 30 years Isaac will probably think of Johnny Cash as comfort music because it will take him back to some significant developmental time in his life.
We do listen to other music in the car other than Bob and Johnny Cash but it is usually with a fuss beforehand. Sometimes the request is for John Mayer. They finally like The Fray and they like "Jesus music". I worry though that somehow I have somehow misguided their God-Orientation because of my own obsession with Johnny Cash. Perhaps they should have been listening to more worship music and gotten the words and truth of Christ in their hearts.
I am past my listening to Johnny Cash all day, every day and am choosing to be a better listener to how God might be speaking to me by choosing worship music more frequently in the car.
Is it normal for a 2 year old to request specific songs from Johnny Cash?
As a side note, here is an interesting phenomenon. When we had the Honda Element rental while the Civic was being fixed, the kids would listen to ANY music I wanted to listen to without complaining. I could even listen to the radio (gasp--a normal forbidden fruit). Why you ask? Because they associate THEIR favorite music in the cars we regularly drive in. If we are in someone else's car, a strange car, it doesn't matter and they listen to whatever is on without question. I think we went wrong when we continually gave into requests to listen to what they wanted. We love our children and thought it was a great way to show them our love by letting them pick. I think we bent too far in their direction and yes, I admit, sometimes we would rather give into listening to "Bob" again rather than choose a battle where one of the two babes would throw a fit. I do think we are buckling up more and telling them, "You don't always get to listen to what you want to listen to" and "Mommy and Daddy are going to pick something now and you can pick something later" and "How 'bout we just turn off the music and talk". I know, I know, WE are the parents, WE call the shots. I think it took us a while to realize that we had accidentally created two music monster moguls.
4 comments:
That's so funny that your kids know specific songs! Miriam knows about Ross King and "Nora" (Nora Jones). She saw Nora on Sesame Street and decided she was ok to listen to in the car. But you are right--when we got the new car, I didn't ever hear Miriam ask for Bob and Larry anymore. We could move on to some other music, which was nice. But she really loved one of our Christmas worship CDs, and getting her to let go of that one because "Christmas was over" has never made much sense to my three-year-old...and as an adult, I then ask, does Christmas music HAVE to have an end date? (though I'm pretty sure my husband would vote an emphatic YES!) hmm...
love ya!
Grandpa worked accross the street in El Paso from the police station ,he was at the fire dept. He was there when Johnny was brought in for drug possesion,of course in those days we didn't know much about any drug but alcohol,he was preytty shocked that our hero had done any thing bad enough to get arrested.We danced a many a night to Johnny 's songs.I think its pretty normal for like you ,to like some ones songs that much ,I Can think of several that I used to listen to over and over,never thought I was strange,gramma
Hi Sweetheart, the last entry was your grandma writing. Trying not to confuse you since I also sign as grandma (to Ewan & Isaac). Anyway, I think it is great that both boys love music and recognize their favorite musicians and songs. I think I sort of remember a vague memory of sitting in the backseat of the car and listening to your grandma and grandpa discussing this man Cash. They were clearly upset with the Man in Black. I remember hearing "Ring of Fire" play over and over again and again and again. Maybe it's in our genes...? Mom, what was that last little bit about you not being a little strange? ;) heehaw Love to all.
strange and wild runs amouk in all our genes,be forewarned
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