Amongst the obvious fan mail that weighs down the poor interns coming back from the post office every day are thousands of letters begging for child-rearing advice. “What’s the best method for breast-feeding?” asks Cynthia of Toledo, Ohio. “How do I keep my son off the streets?” begs Frank of Jacksonville, Fla. “Do I teach my daughter the best methods of sun-tanning now, or later?” Heather of Barstow, Calif. wants to know.

We’ve got answers.

But we can’t do it all on our own, so we called up our best friends in the music industry and asked them what songs they’d use to explain life’s great lessons to a child. The answers didn’t come easily to everyone – midway through the conversation, the Kottonmouth Kings got so nostalgic for their own childhood, they hung up before giving us a proper response. As for the rest, they offered up the following suggestions through these lyrical suggestions. We thought they made for a perfect mix tape.

1. Whitney Houston, “The Greatest Love of All” | “I believe the children are our future/ teach them well, and let them lead the way/ show them all the beauty they possess inside.”

2. Burt Bacharach, “What the World Needs Now” | “… is love, sweet love/ it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”

3. Live AID, “We Are The World” | “We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start living/ There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives/ it’s true, we make a better day, just you and me”

4. Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, “Ebony & Ivory” | “Ebony and ivory/ living in perfect harmony.”

5. Redman, “How to Roll a Blunt” | “… the Philly blunt middle you split/ Don’t have a razor blade, use ya fuckin’ fingertips/ Crack the bag and then you pour the whole bag in”

6. Dr. Dre, “The Roach (Bitchez Ain’t Shit)” | “Bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks/ Lick on deez nuts and suck the dick”

7. The Beatnuts, “Fuck, Drink Beer & Smoke Some Shit” | “I wanna fuck, drink beer and smoke some shit”

8. 2 Live Crew, “Face Down, Ass Up” | “And when I cum, you’ll hear me roar/ I’ll treat any bitch like a whore/ Cuz it’s the way I like to fuck/ It’s face down, ass up!”

9. Rage Against the Machine, “Killing in the Name of” | “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me”

10. Sing No To Drugs, “Alcohol Can Kill You” | “Alcohol can kill you”