Like many parents, I’ve found myself questioning the origins of classic nursery rhymes thanks to online discussions. My toddler son is currently obsessed with the “5 Little Monkeys Song.” He’s just starting to talk and loves to sing it while jumping around. Initially, knowing the song’s debated history made me pause. The original version isn’t about monkeys, but the pure joy he gets from singing “Five Little Monkeys” as he jumps and pretends to fall down made me think, maybe it’s harmless? As long as he associates it with playful monkeys, it should be okay, right?
This thought process continued until a playdate with my niece. We had an old mattress on the floor, perfect for toddlers to bounce on. My son requested “5 Little Monkeys,” and at first, it was adorable watching them jump. However, looking at the three of them jumping on the mattress together made me reconsider everything.
My children have Guatemalan heritage but have fair skin, like me. My niece, on the other hand, is half-black with a beautifully dark complexion. As I sang, counting down “five little monkeys,” a wave of discomfort washed over me. Knowing the accusations that the original lyrics were potentially used to demean people of color, singing it in this context, directly to my niece, felt different. Suddenly, it didn’t feel so innocent anymore. Singing it while my son knocked toys off his bed felt one way, but singing it to this group, with my niece present, felt… wrong.
Should I really be singing this nursery rhyme to these three kids jumping on the bed, especially when one of them is a young black girl? The question hung in the air, heavy and unresolved.
My answer, after reflection, is no. I am committed to raising my children to be actively anti-racist. If singing a nursery rhyme with a potentially racist history feels wrong in my gut, then I need to listen to that feeling. It is wrong for me in this context.
I won’t forbid Mateo from singing it himself. His favorite part is the “fell down!” and he often substitutes monkeys with whatever toy is in his hand. Thankfully, these phases pass quickly. However, I will no longer be the one to sing it to him, or to anyone else. And when he’s older, I plan to explain to him why. It’s a crucial conversation to have, even about something as seemingly simple as a children’s song.
