Good Advice Lyrics
Four short rules for children, from coming when called to shutting the door behind you, and a promise that following them keeps you out of trouble.
Good Advice
Come when you're called,
Do what you're bid,
Shut the door after you,
And never be chid.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/good-advice/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Come when you're called | Cup a hand to your ear, then step forward. |
| Do what you're bid | Nod your head once. |
| Shut the door after you | Swing one arm like a closing door. |
What Does Good Advice Mean?
Each line is one household rule: come when someone calls you, do what you are asked, close the door behind you, and then you will never be chid. Chid is an old form of the word chided, which means scolded. It is a gentle way of saying that being helpful keeps everyone calm.
The lines are short enough for a child to learn in one sitting and work as a call-and-response, with the grown-up saying the first three lines and the child finishing the last.
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in The Real Mother Goose (1916), where it is the first rhyme of the list, just ahead of "I Love Sixpence" and "Bye, Baby Bunting." Nobody has named a writer for it.
Many older nursery rhymes were rhymed advice like this, since a verse is easier for a child to remember than a rule.
Learning Activities
- Echo rhyme: say the first three lines and let the child shout the last.
- Door game: practice closing a door softly after you pass through.
- Rules poster: make a poster with one rule from the rhyme per picture.
- Your own advice: make up two new lines of advice that rhyme.