Things I Tell My Wife, by Matt Knutson

“I can’t believe you’ve never heard of Raffi,” I told my wife. We were getting ready for bed when something triggered Raffi’s hit children’s song “Baby Beluga” to come into my mind.

Sera was quite amused when I began singing about a baby beluga whale out of the blue, and I was quite shocked when she had no clue what I was singing. Apparently not everyone’s mom purchased a cassette tape of Raffi’s greatest musical numbers for their children.

As we shared stories about the children’s music we were exposed to growing up, I wondered if children’s music was even still relevant today. It worried me to think of young children listening to today’s top-40 radio stations, but that could easily be what they’re getting. Certainly Iggy Azalea didn’t put “Fancy” out for 4-year-olds to be singing, “You should want a bad (expletive) like this. Drop it low and pick it up just like this.”

I just searched for the No. 1 song on top-40 radio when I was 5 and came up with the “The Sign” by Ace of Base. I don’t think it had quite the message that our current hit radio singles are portraying.

My wife’s childhood music was more global, meaning Peter Combe, a famed Australian children’s entertainer, was her Raffi. I had heard his name before, but never his music.

As we compared Combe’s “Toffee Apple” to Raffi’s “Apples and Bananas,” I astutely pointed out that Raffi didn’t have to resort to adding caramelized sugar to his fruit-laden song in order to have kids excitedly singing along. At this point, lines had been drawn in the sand and the never-ending battle of who had the best childhood musical entertainer growing up had begun.

How do parents decide what they expose their children to? Several of my friends already have kids, and I see very purposeful parenting in their lives. I think that’s a good concept for laying the foundations of success. Determining what to be purposeful about might be more challenging. Do they give out a “Raising a Decent Human For Dummies” book in the delivery room? I doubt it.

Realistically, I’m sure there are plenty of ways to raise a child correctly. Even my wife turned out to be pretty great after repeatedly listening to Peter Combe in her formative years, so there are certainly many alternative paths from my own childhood experiences that lead to a competent, successful adult.

My few months working for United Way has already taught me a lot about the importance of children being put on a path toward success at a young age. Did you know that up to 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed by age 5? That means that my repetitive listening of Raffi’s “Down by the Bay” may have changed the direction of my entire life.

As more people from my generation begin to have kids, I hope we can find ways to parent purposefully. Just like Sera and myself, all parents come from different backgrounds. Merging the best parts of those backgrounds together is what can create a well-rounded, intelligent child. Parents, read to your kids and do it even when they can’t yet understand what you’re saying. Be aware of what messages music, television and movies are presenting to them. I think every generation wants to raise children to advance society, and a lot of the role models out there are hindering the progress of our culture by setting the bar so low.

Sera and I don’t have kids yet, but we hope to some day. Like most blessings, I’m sure it will be a beautiful disaster. We may have drawn lines in the sand over our preferred children’s entertainer before kids are even in the picture, but at least it shows we’re looking out for our future kiddos best interests.

And while Sera claims our offspring will never be exposed to the brilliance that is Raffi, I’m sure I’ll sneak some “Banana Phone” in their lives at some point. After all, “Kidz Bop 25” is currently the best seller in the Children’s Music list on iTunes, and Raffi can’t be as damaging as some of those hits.

 

Rochester resident Matt Knutson is the communications and events director for United Way of Olmsted County.