Nursery Rhymes

I never really considered nursery rhymes to be poems when I was little. I always thought of them as just fun sing alongs and stories, but now that we're beginning to discuss nursery rhymes in class I've realized exactly what they are: poems for children. It's weird to think that I knew "poems" before I could even read because of t.v shows like Barney, and also because of books that were read to me in school and at home. Another thing I've never really thought about is why the popular nursery rhymes that we all grew up with and loved are referred to as "Mother Goose" nursery rhymes. As we discussed in class the other day, Mother Goose isn't a real person so where did this popular name come from? It's also quite interesting that these nursery rhymes have been around for many many years, and will most likely continue to be even when my children are at the age to be introduced to them.