Poll: Do (or did) you sing to (or with) your dc daily?

[Element]

Poll coming! This will be the first poll I've ever created, so give me a couple of minutes to figure it out...

 

I guess I'm mostly asking if you sing to or with your dc as a part of your bedtime routine. I have always done this. My mother sang to me nightly until I was four or five, but my dc still request songs. I love doing it and I hope they don't grow out of it anytime soon. I was going to create a thread asking "What songs do you sing to your dc at night?" when it occurred to me that a lot of people probably don't have the same bedtime ritual that we have!

 

If you do, or did when they were younger, sing to your dc before bed, what are your favorite songs to sing?

[Carol in Cal.]

Yes. From birth, pretty much. I'm convinced that DD popped out recognizing things that I sang often while she was in utero--liturgical music that I sang every week in church particularly. She would quiet right down no matter what whenever I started singing it. It was my secret weapon for times when I could just sit down and nurse (like driving home from somewhere.)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, even with ds14. And if I forget, he reminds me. (His song is not a baby song but a silly one that we made up together.)

[beaners]

I sing to mine before I lay them down. I sing "the Babe song" and my husband sings a song from the Lorax about grickle grass. We have a few others, but those are the ones that need to be sung every night.

[Heidi]

Every night.

 

Dd7: twinkle twinkle, abc's (she's way too old for these songs, but she wont let me change them)

dd6: I am a child of God, families can be together forever

dd3: I like to look for rainbows

ds2: I love you (barney), I hope they call me on a mission (brainwahing early)

 

My playlist is getting longer and longer...

[HSinNH]

Every night I sing "Braham's Lullaby" and my husband sings a different song to each girl that he made up. Even if he is on a trip, he calls or Skypes them their song! We have done this since birth.....and probably until their weddings!

[AK_Mom4]

I voted "Other" because my kids would tell you that I sing "AT" them - not to them or with them....

 

All my kids are very musical. I love music and sing all the time, but have some hearing loss. According to my kids, I sing neither on key nor on tempo.

 

Funny.... it all sounds right in my head!

[Element]

Wow! I'm really happy to see that so many families sing together!

 

My kids' favorites include:

 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

In My Life (The Beatles)

You are my Sunshine

My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

[Grover]

I *sing* most days. But I can't sing. So they suffer :001_smile:

[ladydusk]

Oops ... I sing with and to my children daily, but never at bedtime. We sing hymns, silly songs, Geography songs, Christmas Carols, nursery rhymes, whatever. By bedtime, I'm done. We pray and tuck and leave :)

[elise1mds]

When they were babies, sometimes I would sing songs to them before bedtime. Now the only time I sing is when we're in the car listening to Pandora. :) It's caught on, though, and now the kids love to sing, too.

[ChristusG]

We go through spells of singing at bedtime. It will happen for a while, then it won't.

 

DD7 usually requests "her" song that I've sung to her since birth...I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith.

 

DD4 usually requests either "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" or the same one as DD7.

 

I find myself singing hymns to DD2 months as I rock her.

[Denise in Florida]

I always sang at bedtime when they were little. We also did a lot of singing (mostly rounds for some reason ?) in the car.

 

Now as teens they sing around the house. We see a lot of Broadway type plays and they enjoy singing the bits from Rent, Wicked, 24th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, etc.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I did sing to them quite frequently when they were younger, but now they tell me to please stop singing, so it's not quite as fun.

[justamouse]

My house is weird in that we don't stop singing or whistling. I never thought much of it until one of the carpenters mentioned it. :blushing: And we have the parrot, who LOVES it when we all sing. But for him it's show tunes and opera. But not at bedtime. Bedtime is for quiet reading.

Edited January 11, 2012 by justamouse

[ThisIsTheDay]

Poll coming! This will be the first poll I've ever created, so give me a couple of minutes to figure it out...

 

I guess I'm mostly asking if you sing to or with your dc as a part of your bedtime routine. I have always done this. My mother sang to me nightly until I was four or five, but my dc still request songs. I love doing it and I hope they don't grow out of it anytime soon. I was going to create a thread asking "What songs do you sing to your dc at night?" when it occurred to me that a lot of people probably don't have the same bedtime ritual that we have!

 

If you do, or did when they were younger, sing to your dc before bed, what are your favorite songs to sing?

 

I didn't sing, but my mom did. You do exactly what she did: Take requests! I can remember being at least in kindergarten and my mom still singing us bedtime songs, first to my sister and then to me.

 

Although she was definitely not a singer, we didn't know it back then. She had a great repertoire, everything from Que Sera Sera, to She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain, to Dunderbeck's Machine (about a man who was ground up in his sausage grinder :lol::lol::lol:). I think we preferred the rousing, gorey songs.

 

Great memories, one of the best ones!

[twoxcell]

I sing with and to my children daily but not at bedtime.;)

[ScoutTN]

I sing poorly, but they don't seem to mind! :D

[abbeyej]

I always did when they were small. Now it's rare though.

[Element]

.

 

Although she was definitely not a singer, we didn't know it back then. She had a great repertoire, everything from Que Sera Sera, to She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain, to Dunderbeck's Machine (about a man who was ground up in his sausage grinder :lol::lol::lol:). I think we preferred the rousing, gorey songs.

 

Great memories, one of the best ones!

 

:D

Edited January 17, 2012 by Element

[MamaT]

I always did when they were small. Now it's rare though.

 

Here too. My 13yo is the only one who really asks me to sing to him anymore.

[Donna]

I sang all mine to sleep until they were 5 or 6 years old. Now we sing in the car. Dd and I make up silly songs to sing together.

[Meriwether]

I sing to/with the kids often, but I do not have a good singing voice. When Ds 5 was one he would stick his fingers in his ears. Baby Girl will give me the hand and say "Bop" in her most commanding voice.

[Pamela H in Texas]

We sing A LOT. I can turn almost anything into a song. I make them up or whatever we're saying may be the words (or close enough) of a known song. I break out in song many times per day.

 

However, I don't do bedtime. We are not bedtime routine type people. Most nights (not tonight), we give a couple minutes per kid of quick talking, hugging, etc. It is *very* fast in all. By bedtime, I am *done.*

[Jayne J]

Yeah, we sing together nearly everyday. Not at bedtime, and generally not planned. Someone will burst out into a ditty and we'll all join in. We are big on musicals here--Oliver, Annie, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Good stuff:D.

[helena]

I sing to my kids daily, but more as a form of torture. My husband and I like to do duos especially (think I Honestly Love You by Olivia Newton John).

[joannqn]

If I sang to my kids, they'd cover their ears and cry for me to stop. They don't even like it when I sing along with the radio.

[BMW]

I sang to them several times a day as I raised them... it was sweet and tender. I sing to my grandchildren any day they are here...

 

Now I sing some favorite songs occasionally and usually hum a few times a day, but it's not the same as singing to the littles...

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Belacqua]

Oh, gracious, no. No singing from me. That would constitute cruelty to children.

[Danestress]

I sang to my kids all the time. Until the oldest learned to say, "No singing Mommy." He would gently put his hand over my mouth and say, "No singing, Mommy." Even in church, lol. I do, in fact, have an absolutely dreadful singing voice.

[Splinter]

I don't sing at bedtime, but we sing together all the time, or I sing around the house.

 

And, of course, I have to sing "Soft Kitty" whenever someone's sick. :P

[elegantlion]

I sing on most days, mostly made up goofy stuff. Ds will join in or just laugh.

 

We do dance in our kitchen, which has two windows. We live on a corner and so anyone driving by at night can see us. Ds, usually very reserved, asked me today what I thought people driving by saw. :lol:

[annlaura]

I sing to them every night. DS5's current favorite is a Mary Lou Walker song called "Night Has Come." Twinkle, Lullaby of Birdland, The Beatles Who knows how long I've loved you, and one my mother sang to me, are all standards around here. We sing pretty often throughout the day as well.

[VeganCupcake]

I sing to my DD at bedtime every night. Usually it's hymns and church songs, but we did do quite a few Christmas carols (religious and secular) in December). First I sing to her while she nurses, and then we sing a few little songs together

 

During the day, sometimes she asks me to stop singing if I start. I don't sing badly, I promise, so I'm not sure what that's about. :lol:

[myfunnybunch]

Not at bedtime, but we do sing daily. Sometimes all a different song at once. :glare: LOL

 

I sing to, with, at them. We love to sing. They roll their eyes whenever I hear or see something that brings to mind a song, because I will burst into song: "Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo" or "STOP! In the name of loooove! Before you break my heart. Think it O-oh-ver!" are common. ;)

 

Cat

[Tree House Academy]

Well, I voted based on the title before I read the actual post. We do not sing anything at night, specifically. We sing during school...both boys use HOD and both have music which involves them singing. I always sing with them. Ds 12 and I sing in church too...so you will always hear one or the other of us roaming around the house humming something. He likes different artists than I do - but it is all Christian rock type music. I love Casting Crowns, Third Day, and 10th Avenue North while he likes Kutlass, LeCrae, and the Newsboys. :)

[Maus]

I voted 'Yes' and 'Other' because I do sing to them, but have been asked by each of my children (when they were about three) not to :001_huh:, because they prefer Daddy (who has a beautiful first tenor voice). I sing anyway, almost daily.

 

I like lullabies in other languages, even ones I don't speak. And Skye Boat Song. In German, which I do speak, I sing 'Brahms Lullaby' and 'Alle Meine Entchen.' In French, which I don't speak, I sing 'Frere Jacques' and the first verse of 'Alouette.' In Hebrew, which I don't speak, I sing 'Shalom Haverim' and 'Zum Gali Gali.' I tried to learn 'Los Pollitos Dicen' in Spanish, which the kids know from Spanish class, but I don't sing it to their satisfaction, and they don't accept it as a lullaby anyway. With my son, who doesn't want lullabies anymore, he'd ask for a lullaby, and I'd ask, "which language first?" and he'd pick.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Maus
Didn't finish my thought

[eternalknot]

I sing to and with the kids daily, but it's never been a part of our bedtime routine. Mostly because I read to them before bed, and my throat is *done* by that point. I sing annoying little diddies to them throughout the day; like if they're whiny I break out the ol' "If You're Happy And You Know it ..." and if they're arguing they're subjected to "Kumbaya" ... stuff like that. It's not helpful, really, I just get a kick out of tormenting them.

 

My grandmother always sang to us when we were sick in bed and also at nighttime. She'd sing an old folk song about cherry blossoms as she rubbed our backs or rocked us. She still sings it to the younger grandkids and her great-grandkids when she puts them to bed :). That's her only song; she didn't take requests then and she doesn't now either LOL.

 

I'd say we never really outgrew it. My cousin will die soon of cancer, and she still requests that our grandmother sits next to her bed, rub her back, and sing the song to her. I have regular blood transfusions, and she always comes with me, keeps me company, and sings to me. It's so comforting, even now in my 30s!

 

I'm sure your kids will feel the same warm fuzzies about your own family rituals :D.

[FO4UR]

I sing daily, but not at bedtime. I sing all.the.time. It just comes out and I am not always aware that I'm doing it. At bedtime, we do stories and snuggles...but no singing since they were wee-tiny things.

 

I threaten with Italian Aria in the kitchen (while I start the dishes) if my dc dawdle eating their vegetables.:tongue_smilie: It's a powerful motivator.:lol:

[jhschool]

I did until he was 10.

 

Now I don't. Maybe I should...

[Alenee]

I always sang Amazing Grace and You Are My Sunshine; I sang Rock A By Baby in a funky way to make them laugh while I rocked them vigorously. (In fact, all three requested to sit in my lap tonight and do the song...they're so big now but we had a good time.) :) Dh made up new words to the Mockingbird song and they loved it; he also sang Silent Night year 'round.

[Onceuponatime]

I still sing at bedtime to my 7yo. I sang for all my kids. I think I may be sad when it is time to stop. Right now it is Hush Little Baby and I've been Working on the Railroad

 

My older kids groan if I start singing to them, but when they were little we sang a lot of silly songs.

 

My mother never sang for me and my brothers. She was tone deaf. I sang to my brothers on road trips.

[Xilka]

We try to sing at least twice a week.

We stick to one song until we've learned it well and then pick another.

Our last couple of songs have been Lean on Me and Stand by Me.

Our next one will be War by Bob Marley.

I like finding songs that give us something to talk about, discuss,

or that serve as context for a different time in history.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

when he was a baby/toddler and I rocked him to sleep at naptime/bedtime yes...now no....

[MathGirl]

We used to sing Jesus loves Me to DS before bed (the girls have gotten "too big" for songs before bed, although we constantly sing during the day). But he started disliking that song, so we switched to Itsy Bitsy Spider (his favorite) with motions on his back.

[Virg]

Yes, if it counts that we do it during worship time every morning. I don't sing much without the music lol

[Aurelia]

I sang songs to DD when she was little, but around age four or five I stopped. It switched over reading, instead.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I sang to them every night. Eventually we began singing together. They share a room, so we all sit in there and sing for a little while in the dark. It really helps us feel reconnected, I think, after busy or grumpy days.

 

I used to sing pop songs from my childhood, love-themed or lullabies, and folk songs. I sing out of Rise Up Singing a lot. Sometimes my kids will say, "sing the play section," and we just go through singing whatever is in there (if I know the melody). I also sing from the Wee Sing songbooks that I memorized when I was a kid. I try to have songs ready that relate to what we're studying in history, too. Right now we're doing the Civil War, and I've been singing freedom spirituals.

 

For a long time, I couldn't sing, but I was determined to get to a place where I could. It really is just a matter of listening to yourself. VocalLab is a free downloadable program that shows you what note you are singing live. That helped me over my roughest bump. Now I can pretty much match a tone if I give myself a few minutes. Really, really, everybody can sing.

Edited January 12, 2012 by dragons in the flower bed