The Grumble Family: A Great Poem for Kids (And Adults!)

I happen to be teaching my girls a new poem this week called "The Grumble Family." As I was helping them understand the metaphors in the poem I started to realize I was being a bit of a grumbler myself.

That last post was quite grumbly. So I better take a piece of my own advice and "keep my feet from wandering into Grumble street...Lest I be mistaken for a Grumbler too!"

The Grumble Family

There is a family nobody likes to meet,

They live, it is said, on Complaining street

In the city of Never-Are-Satisfied

The River of Discontent beside.

The growl at that, and they growl at this;

Whatever comes, there is something amiss;

And whether their station be high or humble

They are known by the name of Grumble.

The weather is always too hot or too cold,

Summer and winter alike they scold;

Nothing goes right with the folks you meet

Down on the gloomy Complaining Street.

And the worst thing is that is anyone stays

Among them too long, he will learn their ways,

And before he dreams of the terrible jumble

He's adopted into the family of Grumble.

So it is wisest to keep our feet

From wandering into Grumbling Street

And never to growl whatever we do

Lest we be mistaken for Grumblers, too.

I don't know the author of this poem. It was taken (along with 95% of the other poems we learn) from a wonderful little "book" my sister gave me years ago. It was written by her brother-in-laws, wife's, mother. "Homemade Joy from the House of Jacob." This is an amazing mother LeDawn Jacob.

You have to be feeling secure to read it, because if you aren't it is easy to feel like you are living on Failure Street! I love her ideas about memorization, work and music. It is very inspirational.

Anyways...I will try to stop my grumbling. It is a gift to bring a child into the world. One never worthy of grumbling about. Too many people are denied this amazing gift. So please forgive the somewhat insensitive nature of my last post.