At the heart of Dr. Becky Bailey’s transformative Conscious Discipline approach are her “I Love You Rituals.” When used with intention and consistency, Dr. Bailey’s poems and songs are powerful tools that help children connect, calm, and make good choices. Best of all, these “I Love You Rituals” work beautifully not just in the classroom but also at home. Here are a few of our favorites from Dr. Becky Bailey that have been successfully incorporated into many Kindermusik classrooms and routines:
As children enter class: “Twinkle Twinkle”
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,
What a wonderful child you are,
With bright eyes and nice, round cheeks,
A talented person from head to feet.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,
What a wonderful child you are!
See a video of Dr. Bailey’s version of “Twinkle Twinkle” here.
For children to greet one another: “Georgie Porgie”
George Porgie, pudding and pie,
Gave his friend a big high five!
With his friend he loved to play,
A gift of a smile he gave each day.
Watch Dr. Bailey teach this delightful ritual here.
To encourage peer cooperation and empathy: “Three Nice Mice”
Three nice mice.
Three nice mice.
See how they care.
See how they care.
They hold both hands
and give a shake.
Smiling together, good friends
they make.
Then turning around,
for goodness’ sake.
Three nice mice.
Three nice mice.
Learn the actions for this ritual here.
When parents join class for Sharing Time: “Jack Be Noodle”
Jack be noodle, (arms wiggly)
Jack be stiff, (arms stiff)
Jack come over (run to Mom/Dad/Grandma) and hug me quick. (big hug!)
To end a class with a special moment for parent-child connection: “A Wonderful Woman”
A wonderful woman lived in a shoe.
She had so many children
She knew exactly what to do.
She held them,
She rocked them,
And tucked them in bed.
“I love you, I love you,”
Is what she said.
Watch a sweet video of this ritual here.
Learn more in Dr. Bailey’s book, “I Love You Rituals,” which we highly recommend be on every parent and educator’s shelf, or go online at www.ConsciousDiscipline.com.
All songs and chants referenced are from Dr. Becky Bailey. Thank you, Dr. Bailey, for making a difference in so many classrooms and in so many hearts!
Compiled by Theresa Case whose award-winning Kindermusik program is part of Piano Central Studios, located in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina.