Singing to your baby has many benefits. It is great for calming them down. It is also good for cognitive development. And it isn’t just baby who benefits: singing has many health benefits for you too, and will also help to facilitate bonding.
“But I don’t know what to sing” you say? Lullabies are a great place to start! Think back to your own childhood: did you parents sing lullabies to you? If they are still around, why not ask them? Passing on a cherished song can be another kind of heirloom and allow you and your child to connect to your community.
If you don’t have a lullaby to sing, then stay tuned because I am going to share some lullabies over the next few blog posts, starting with English. Remember: live music (you singing) is more effective than recorded songs.
Brahm’s Lullaby
Possibly the most famous lullaby, you will often find Brahm’s Lullaby featured on mobiles and baby toys. This song was originally written in German but if German isn’t your first language, there are a number of translation options available online. Or you can make up your own lyrics to go with the melody! Here is an English version from the singer Hayley Westenra:
The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby
Here is a beautiful Irish lullaby:
Hush Little Baby (Mockingbird)
A very popular and commonly sung lullaby in North America:
Beautiful Dreamer
This was a parlour song, composed by Stephen Foster. Today, many parents sing it to their babies.
Over the Rainbow (from The Wizard of Oz)
This famous song has many qualities of a lullaby and is a good song to choose.
Golden Slumbers
You may be familiar with the Beatles version of this song.
Star Light, Star BrightAll Through the Night
A lovely Welsh song that is often sung in English.
That’s it for this installment! Be sure to follow me on Facebook so that you will be informed when the next blog post (featuring lullabies in other languages) goes live!
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