Hush, Baby, My Doll Lyrics
A child rocks a doll to sleep and offers it bread and milk, custard or a tart, whatever it likes, if only it will stop crying. It is a lullaby made for pretend play.
Hush, Baby, My Doll
Hush, baby, my doll, I pray you, don't cry,
And I'll give you some bread, and some milk by-and-bye;
Or, perhaps, you like custard, or, maybe, a tart,
Then to either you are welcome, with all my heart.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hush-baby-my-doll/
- Type
- Lullabies
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 1 to 5 years
What Does Hush, Baby, My Doll Mean?
The singer is caring for a baby doll, speaking to it the way a parent speaks to a crying baby. There is bread and milk coming soon, and if the doll prefers custard or a tart, it can have either, with all the singer's heart.
Children who have a younger brother or sister, or who are about to, often ask for this one. It lets them practice being the one who comforts.
History and Origin
The lullaby is part of The Little Mother Goose (1912), illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith, the source of the words here. Rhymes addressed to dolls were popular in the 1800s and early 1900s, when a doll was often a child's most treasured toy.
Learning Activities
- Doll bedtime: let your child rock a doll or teddy while you sing it together.
- Tea party: set out toy bread, milk, custard and tart, and let your child choose what the doll wants.
- New baby: if a sibling is on the way, use the rhyme to talk about how babies are comforted.