Lost On Vacation: "What's Your Name?"

When our children were young, we wanted them to know their name, address and phone number in case they were ever lost.

To just memorize it, to say it over and over doesn't make it stick really well. Songs do.

Sing this - yes outloud - to 'It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring.' You will have to sort of resing the last line to add the phone number in - with some practice, it works.

My - name is Mi-chael John Sul-li-va-n
I live at 22 Old Schoolhouse Lane
Homeschool, Il-li-no-is (silent s!)
My phone number is - 708--555--1212.

At a very early age, my children could sing 'their' song. We kept the same tune, each singing with our own information.

Don't just teach them the song. Prompt them with "what's your name?" Make a game of it, sing it in the car.

For those of you who are worried about a stranger asking them their name, they shouldn't be unsupervised until they are old enough to know the difference between telling or not telling strangers, unless they get lost and thus - the song - very helpful knowledge!

If they are 2 or 3 and can sing the song every time Grama or Grampa, Aunts or Uncles ask them, and get rewarded for it, hopefully they will be sing it to the person who finds them if they wander off.

"My name is Chris-tine Pu-sa-te-ri ...."