'Ageist' nursery rhymes should be confined to history lessons, according to one expert, because they spread negative views of old people. Meanwhile, they even go so far as to argue that 'The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe' demonstrates a 'callous approach to parenting'. Nursery rhymes are 'powerful cultural artefacts capable of moulding thought processes', the scientists said. In this rhyme, old age is 'insinuated as being a time of forgetfulness', because the character visits several shops but seemingly forgets to buy her dog food. Positive portrayals of getting old appeared in a third of the nursery rhymes, the team revealed.

Source: Daily Mail March 21, 2026 10:33 UTC