Sing Along!

When I was growing up, there were these wonderful things called "Endless Tapes." I am talking about cassette tapes. You could record anything on an endless tape and it would repeat over and over and over, basically negating the need for the rewind button or turning the tape to the other side. My mom would copy our current violin pieces or AWANA memory verses onto an endless tape and we could do whatever we wanted in our room while listening to these tapes. I can't tell you how many paperdoll fashion shows I did while learning Micah 5:2 or how many Golden Books I flipped through while listening to Minuet 3, but I can still recite the verse and I could probably muddle through the Minuet if I gave it a try.
The point I'm making is sometimes we learn the most when we aren't necessarily trying the hardest. And often we remember things that maybe we didn't know we were learning. Again, when I was young, we had tapes called "Hide 'em in Your Heart" and they were Bible verses set to music with kids singing along and someone quoting the verse. There are many verses that, if someone mentions them, I will start mentally singing. I haven't actually broken out into song yet but that day may come. Our old cassette tapes are long gone but I wanted Little Girl to hear and learn those same songs from my past. My sister located CDs of both volumes and gave them to my daughter. I turn them on while she plays, takes naps, anytime I can. She might be young but it's never too early to expose children to good things.
We also listened to Patch the Pirate every night when I was growing up. We would receive a new one every Christmas and a shoebox of his adventures would usually accompany our yearly family trips in the car. The stories teach a Christian value along with memorable characters, fun songs, and Bible verses. I haven't listened to one in years but I could probably tell you which song went with which story and even belt out a few measures if I needed to.
The reason for this walk down cassette tape memory lane is to encourage all parents out there. Even if your child is a newborn, develop good habits now! Expose them to good music, good values, and good stories now! You never know how soon they start paying attention and how much they will remember from their childhood. I'm sure my parents didn't think I would remember half of the things I do about growing up.
On a side note, if anyone finds "20 Music Time Sing Along Songs" from the Benson Music Group on CD, let me know! Again, from my childhood and the cassette tape is worn out. I had two volumes, copyright around 1992. They were really cute, Sunday School type sing along songs. Thanks!