Hound Dog (and other Golden Oldies)

It was our family's usual night-time routine... park, dinner, bath, books, bed.  During this process, I threw my dirty three-year-old in the tub and went to pick out a CD for some musical entertainment. I asked The Kid what she wanted to hear this particular evening.  Her reply?  "Mommy, I want to hear your Beatles music!"

It was at this point I realized that my master plan to expose her to the Golden Oldies was actually working!  I grew up listening to all the classics from the 50s and 60s -- mainly Elvis Presley -- so I am determined that my love for this music is passed to my kid.

So, from DAY ONE of her life we have played and enjoyed all sorts of music together.  Yes, we have the obligatory "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" on the iPod, but we also play tons of Elvis, The Beach Boys and The Beatles.  My trick is to match the music to the child. Here are some examples:

• Lola -- she has an adorable stuffed cow named Lola, so we busted out The Kinks. (How many three-year-olds walk around the house singing "Lola, L-O-L-A, Lola!?)
• Lollipop -- yes, she discovered candy, so we now dance to The Chordettes.
• Rockin' Robin -- we watched birds in the park, so we listened to Bobby Day on the way home.
• Splish Splash -- this one is easy, and bath time is a blast with a little Bobby Darin!
• The Twist -- apparently watching Mommy dance to this Chubby Checker classic is hilarious!

My mom shared her records with me, and now I share my MP3s with my daughter.  Luckily, the tunes, harmonies and fantastic songs remain forever classic.