“Mary Poppins” Motion Picture Soundtrack (1964): <i> Walt Disney Records</i>

Parents who, after the 10,000th playing or so, wish “The Little Mermaid” would go back under the sea, or who have had just about enough of singing teapots from “Beauty and the Beast,” need look no further than their own childhoods and the perfect nanny--Mary Poppins, of course.

“The Perfect Nanny” is one of the 16 songs (not counting the overture) on the soundtrack from the 1964 Walt Disney movie, which also includes the more famous “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Chim, Chim Cheree”--as well as my favorites, “Sister Sufferagette” and “Step in Time” (the one where, in the movie, Dick Van Dyke and the other chimney sweeps dance on the rooftops of London). A CD bonus: The final track is an interview with the Sherman brothers (Richard M. and Robert B.), Disney’s prolific music-and-lyric team, full of warm recollections and four previously unreleased demo recordings.

Although the movie itself may be too slow in parts for little attention spans, the soundtrack is full of songs the kids can catch on to--and you can sing along! If they get over-excited, put them to bed with “Stay Awake” or “Feed the Birds.”

Even if you don’t have kids: The tunes are excellent for serious house cleaning (as in, when your in-laws are coming or you’re trying to get your security deposit back). And if they don’t like the results, tell them to go fly a kite.