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  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is YECCH! from my “Wha'D'Ya Wanna Do?" album. I play this song at almost every family concert because almost veryone loves screaming "Yecch!" at the top of their lungs! It's a 'scream-along' so you can join in with us! It's full of make-believe and playfulness, and it's an example of how story and oral tradition grab our attention and engage us. There is an air of danger when we face unknown monsters. When adults laugh with kids at "yecchy" stuff, kids recognize a kindred spirit. They know I'm not going to be a 'judgmental' adult if I'm willing to sing a gross song like this, and they're more likely to listen to what I have to say. "Booger-humor" is as basic and as old as the pun and poop jokes! The fun comes from watching 'normal' adults get 'grossed out' by mentioning snot or slime! It's got elements of rebellion in it that appeal to those of us who doesn't always accept the family rules about 'being polite'. We can be "gross" in defiance of the socially accepted norms and still not get in any trouble. Kids often find themselves in overwhelming or abrasive social interactions, and they actually 'need' to embrace fantasy as a way of checking out from the usual 'family zoo' energy. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is LET'S FACE IT! from my “In The Hospital" album. It addresses facial disfigurement, and all the unsettling emotions that we go through when we feel that we're different than others around us. It's difficult emotionally, whether we're an adult or a child, to figure out how we're going to behave when others stare at us and feel uncomfortable. We have to cope with our own feelings of being left out and rejected. Maintaining a healthy, positive self-image is a lifelong process for all of us. Children born with physical "differences", or who become physically "different" are particularly vulnerable to the reactions of others. These reactions strongly influence how we feel about ourselves. We need all the support we can get, so that we don't accept a negative self-image of ourself. And this happens with our skin color too. Nowadays black kids, and tan, yellow and white kids with freckles all get treated together in hospitals, and it wasn't always that way! People's attitudes and behaviors change slowly, but they do change!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
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  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is INSPECTION. I wrote it with Penny Pefley, one of the pediatric nurses who helped us make our “In The Hospital"album. My buddy Bill Harley and I 'rap' this one. Our personal privacy is challenged regularly in a hospital by doctors, nurses and assistants who want to make sure we're okay. They even wake us up at night to make sure we're sleeping soundly! Today's kids are taught that it's their body and they can say "No!", but this all changes in the hospital. We can feel trapped, helpless, and angry as stranger after stranger invades our privacy. We want to honor a child's sense of self-worth by answering their questions and making safe space for their feelings to surface. They have a right to know what's happening to them. Some hospitals have child-life staff who support children when parents can't be there, to be sure the child receives age-appropriate explanations for things that are done. We never, ever tease, but enjoying a good laugh decreases stress and helps us get beyond some tough situations. Being in a hospital becomes easier if we remember we're all going through this together in the hope of returning to good health. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is JUICE, from my “Stayin Over" album. It's an uncomplicated song, about the complicated concepts of 'love' and 'energy'. When we feel we’re not loved, we feel empty, and we search for any kind of 'juice' to fill us up, like booze, sex, drugs, money, food or approval from others. But when we’re actually filled up with 'love', we don't have to go on that search. We can pass on that love and energy we have to others. We learn to love others from being loved. Children act morally when they understand feelings, it's not just about 'following rules'. The best way to teach kids about feelings, is to be open about our own feelings with them. As they gain the ability to "feel" for others, they will make decisions about how to behave, based on their own feelings and understanding of what's going on. Our caring behaviors come from treating others, as we would like them to treat us. (Sound familiar?). When we have "juice", we pass that "juice " along! I’m Peter Alsop. Sure would appreciate you telling others about this podcast, and I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today we'll 'Chew' on the title song from my STAYIN' OVER album. Do you remember the first night you went to 'stay over' at a friend's house? Maybe it was a camping trip with other families. These adventures are loaded with memories and lessons we learned from our social interactions with others. It's a big step in independence for most kids. When we do it, we face separation from our own bed, blanket, our teddy bear, and from our parents. Some kids are nervous about wetting our bed, or getting teased because we're afraid of the dark. It's important to let kids know they can make their own decisions about sleeping overnight at a friend's house. Slumber parties allow kids to take part in the creation of the "group stories" that become a part of our childhood. We learn about friendship by spending time and sharing feelings and adventures with our friends. And having fun is great health care! I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is WIGGLE. It's a song about freedom! We all “wiggle” when someone won’t let us do what we want to do. 'Being alive!" means that in one form or another, we just need to "wiggle"! Some of us wiggle emotionally because we don't want to be 'pinned down'. Some wiggle physically because we'll jump out of our skin if we can't get down and run around and chase the kitty cat! And some of us do "ethical wiggling". Politicians do it; business people, religious people too! Legislatures make laws to eliminate as much 'wiggle-room' as they can, because when there's a lot of 'wiggle-room', there's room for mis-understandings and prevarications. It allows 'wigglers' to "speak or act in an evasive way." It's instructional for us grown-ups to remember what it's like being in 'kid shoes' once in a while. This song is to remind us that, rather than get upset with a wiggly kid, we can practice having patience. When we allow them some 'wiggle-room', we remember how important it is for us, and for those little 'inner kids' inside the big grown-ups around us. I’m Peter Alsop. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen & subscribe to my Songs To Chew = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = be one of my patrons and support my music!


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs or downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is THE PRIZE from my “Did You Walk?" album. It's song lyrics without any music, so actually, it's a poem. We're constantly being taught that it's important to 'come in first', to 'win the game', to 'win the race!' Some of us do it to get approval from others. Some think we have to do it so we can become financially independent and better able to care for ourselves and our loved ones. To have a kinder, more sustainable way of surviving on earth, we need to learn how to be inter-dependent with one another. That means we share resources and build awareness about our wastefulness. It means that we help each other and share space and time together. There are better ways to have fun, than playing a game where there's only one 'winner' and everyone else is a loser. If we want to learn how to live a balanced life, we need to pay attention to how we feel as we go through our interactions with each other. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads




    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew', SANDWICHES, was written by Bob King. One of the subjects that kids love to sing about is food!! We'll 'chew on' ideas about kids and food and the interconnectedness of all the human things we do in our lives. There's 'enjoyment' and 'sharing'. There's 'mooching', which is trying to get something that someone else has, but not wanting to 'share' what we have. 'Mooching' is like a 'one way street' where everything on the road is coming in our direction, and real 'sharing' is like a two-way street where traffic goes in both directions. We find 'anger', 'resentment', and 'bartering' in this song too, and we explore 'expectations' and 'boundary setting'. Little songs like this can be powerful 'teaching tools' that can create great "A-ha!" moments of clarity for us. We have to we pay attention and be willing to 'tease it out' and 'chew on it' in order to benefit from these little bits of wisdom. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen & subscribe to my Songs To Chew = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = be one of my patrons and support my music!


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs or downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is NEEDLE-EE NOODLE-EE. I wrote it with Penny Pefley, one of the two pediatric nurses who initiated our "In The Hospital" album! "Pokes" or "shots" are probably the number one fear children have about being in the hospital. Few children escape this experience, whether as an injection, an IV start, or a blood test. It may be impossible for a child to understand why they're being hurt when we're supposed to be making them better, but it's important for them to know that they're not being punished, and that it will help them get better. Be honest; stay relaxed, and say things like, "It may hurt for a minute, and then it will be over. I'll help you hold still. It's OK to cry". Younger kids may be afraid that all their blood will leak out, and need to be reassured that only a small amount will be taken, and the hole will close. Band-aids are very important to some children, so be sure to offer them. Some parents make comments about those "mean doctors and nurses" as a way of showing sympathy for their child, but it helps tremendously when they have a positive attitude towards the hospital and staff. Hugh thanks to nurses Penny Pefley and Diane Gates for their help writing notes for the booklet that goes with our "In The Hospital" album. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Our Song To Chew today is MY DAD'S A JUNGLE GYM from my “Uh-Oh!" album. I used to carry my daughters around on my shoulders, or under my arms when they were little. Sometimes they'd get tired on a walk, and I'd carry them on my back. Eventually they'd wiggle free, hop down and run around again. Dads are generally less 'risk-adverse' than Moms, which means that we let our kids take more risks than Moms do. I'd let them stand on the roof of my van and hold out my arms and say, "Okay! Jump!", ... and they'd jump! I always caught them, and we'd laugh. Don't think I ever dropped them. Most Dads are not so worried about kids falling down and scraping a knee or getting a sun-burn. Doesn't mean we don't care, we're just less likely to think it's a big deal. We chew on some of these thoughts in this podcast, see what you think! I’m Peter Alsop. I hope all you Dads out there have a chance to be a Jungle Gym too! Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is MY BODY RUNS, from my “Did You Walk?" album. I wrote this song at the request of two women who were marketing their Digi-Walker Pedometer, a small device for one's belt or pocket that counts the steps we take to be sure we get enough exercise every day. Kids have lots of questions about their own bodies and how they seem to work sort of automatically. "My body runs, my body goes! I don’t know how, but my body knows!" We really don't have much control over making our heart beat or digesting our food. So this song examines all that mystery in a gentle way. Us adults are just amazed as kids when we consider how incredible our bodies really are! I’m Peter Alsop. See you next time with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads




    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew', WHA'D'YA WANNA DO?, is about 'wanting to have fun with a buddy'. As I listen to the lyrics more than 40 years after I wrote them, they're about being joyous. That's mostly what kids wanna do, 'find support as we go through our lives joyously'. Support makes it less scary to take risks, so when we take a risk, even if it doesn't work out, we learn that we can overcome obstacles and eventually become stronger and more confident. This song isn't as philosophically 'deep' as some of my other songs, but with this heavy old world bouncing around dangerously these days, the simple message this song carries is 'profound'. We all want to 'hang out' with people who know that sharing fun and laughter in dark time is comforting and healing and that 'joy' is an uplifting birthright of every human being on the planet.


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • This week's 'Song To Chew' is THAT'S MY THANG! We get a "fire in our belly" about something that involves all our attention, often to the exclusion of everything else around us. Our 'thang' is something we want to achieve, or simply a task we want to complete. Our 'thang' isn't really 'work' because we enjoy doing it. Many of us love the work we do. Artists often work for little or no money because it's an expression of ourselves. It feels good to do our "thang" and if we can get paid for it, that's great! Living in a capitalistic system teaches us that everything has a specific monetary value. We learn to put a price on everything, so we know 'exactly' how much it's worth. A story like that leads us astray, and the gorgeous range of passion in human endeavors gets quantized into flat numbers, and actually cheapens the way we think about our life. I sure hope your life has some passionate 'Thang' you love to do! I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today we'll "chew on" the song, COVERS ON OUR HEARTS from our musical play "Pie In The Sky". It takes place in a small town with a big nuclear reactor. The kids in town want to get rid of it because there are so many health problems, but the grown-ups are slow to respond. It's based on the Pied Piper fable, about a magical piper who's hired to rid the town of rats. He leads them all out of town by playing his magical flute, (in my case, a drum!). But when the townspeople refuse to pay him, he leads all their children away, never to be heard from again. The story is a painful lesson that 'trinkets and baubles' from our capitalistic system, can never replace our much-needed love relationships. We each have childhood injuries and bruises, but the emotional 'covers' we develop to protect ourselves, make it more difficult to care for each other and lift each other up. Yet that is is exactly what we need to do to sustain life on our planet and survive here together. So our work is to 'shake off our covers'! I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll see you again soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Our 'Song To Chew' today is WHILE I'M SLEEPING, written with Diane Gates. She and Penny Pefley are pediatric nurses from Seattle Children's Hospital who encouraged me to write and record our 'In The Hospital' album. I got my buddy Bill Harley to join us, and we won Parent's Choice 'Best Album'! This song addresses difficulties we face with going to sleep, particularly when we're in a hospital. We have fears about not being conscious or in control when we're asleep, and our strange surroundings and fears about our health compound these problems. What if we don't wake up? If a child has an operation that requires anesthesia the word "sleep" is the best way to explain this to them. Unfortunately, it's also used when we talk about death. It's confusing and scary to be told we'll get some "special medicine" that will put us to sleep, so it's important to be very clear about this 'kind of sleep'. We can help kids who have trouble sleeping in the hospital by continuing their home bedtime routines, giving them a small flashlight in bed and making sure they meet the primary doctors and nurses. Your child's physician may also have some suggestions. Best of all is to be there, and ask them what they think would help them feel safe.


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Our 'Song To Chew' today is UNDER THE RAINBOW. Some might call it a 'woke' song, because it's full of hope. There are some very mystifying things in this world. I haven't got a clue about how they happen, so I don't rule out prayer, magic, supernatural religions, being "woke" or anything else that might help us all survive together! I know that 'when someone holds a belief, we can't get them to change that belief by offering facts.' Science and logic don't have much influence in the 'Land of Beliefs'. Unfortunately, in the 'Land of Science and Logic', there's not much support for the idea that a belief or story can have a huge influence on a person's ability to accomplish things in their life. There's a mystical, innocent, non-scientific power in a child's beliefs and stories, and whether they're true or not, by holding them so close to their hearts, they can accomplish amazing feats that seem impossible to the rest of us. If we're to have a future that's safe and sustainable, we need to it start now! As I age, I feel a 'nibbling remorse' that I need to do more to leave our children a safer world. My own dear children, singing the words to my song, ring more true to me now than they did when I wrote them.


    "You cannot give the world to us. It is not yours to give.


    It is a home for every child, who needs to grow and live


    And for a while, we may borrow the air and trees and sun,


    But we must never, never break the trust, of the children yet to come."


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads




    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Today's 'Song To Chew' is NEVER SPEAK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL! It seems like a 'fun little song', but it opens doors to deeper topics like, 'Where do our rules come from?' and 'How do they become laws?' Kids deal with 'grown-up rules' all the time. We teach children rules, so they'll learn to be socially responsible adults; people who care about other people. Adults who sing this song with their kids send the message, “We can play and be silly, and still be caring and polite to each other at the same time!" I think that’s a wiser, healthier, message than, “follow the rules no matter what!” When I need to speak up about something that's "not okay" with me, I need to do it in a way that will 'get through' to another person. It's not going to resolve anything if that other person feels like they're being attacked! So we really need to be careful about how we do that. And practicing that, ... starts with me!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Our 'Song To Chew' today is I'M A LITTLE COOKIE, written by Larry Penn. It reframes the concept of 'having a disability' for kids and grown-ups. When a traumatic event happens, and something in us changes or 'breaks', we can feel like we're 'un-whole'! It's true that as we change and grow and learn, difficult things do happen to us, but we're still fully human no matter what! We may be 'different', but when changes happen, we adjust, and work to rebalance ourselves. No matter what color or flavor we are, we each experience the human feelings of happy, sad, scared or angry. That's part of the deal! Every one of us is part of our human tribe; the big family! If we believe that we're limited in what we can do, that just makes it more difficult for us to go beyond those limits. We're all little gum drops or chocolate bars, or cookies, and regardless of any dents or lost pieces, we can still taste sweet and delicious and loveable. I'm Peter Alsop. See you next time, for another ‘Song to Chew’!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • Our SONG TO CHEW this week is PEACEFUL FEET, from my 'Grow It At Home' album. I wrote it as part of a challenge sent out from Rounder Kids Records asking some of the best artists in children's and family music to create a one-minute song for an album called "HEAR AND GONE IN 60 SECONDS" It included my friends Bill Harley, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Justin Roberts, Kim and Reggie Harris, Tom Paxton, Beethoven's Wig, Dan Crow, Dave Kinnoin, Parachute Express and Joanie Bartels, just to name a few! I wrote a song that was silly, but also had larger themes of world peace, and we'll talk about that process. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back next week, with another ‘Song to Chew’!


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe
  • This week's 'Song To Chew' is GNARLY DUDE. 'Gnarly' means 'twisted and knobby', but it's also slang for 'something unpleasant or unattractive', or for the opposite, 'something excellent or very good'. To be a 'gnarly dude', we have to figure out how to be tough and cool at the same time! Sounds challenging! One of the unwritten lessons we learn in school is that we need to study the subject and the teacher in order to get good grades. By the time we go to school, most of us have mastered how to get what we want from our parents! School provides another opportunity, outside our family, to analyze a system and explore how to survive and thrive! We pick up techniques watching the teacher and other students, then when we're older, we observe people at our workplace and get to practice how to share, lie, promise, fight, tattle, use honesty, kindness, loyalty and friendship. Life's a big school where we can learn how to be 'gnarly' so we can help ourselves and the people around us feel lifted and successful.


    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or


    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156


    ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1


    ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop


    ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos


    ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors


    ~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads



    Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe