I have sung the same lullaby to the Twinadoes since they were in NICU, ‘Baby Mine’ the song from the Dumbo Movie. I still sing it to Muski but since he takes forever to get to sleep I have to admit I am totally over it. I am a bit picky about my lullabies too… Daddy’s going to buy you a mocking bird is just too boring and silly for me, so, lacking in other suitably cool and hip lullabies, I often start making up songs.
They usually go something like this-
“Why don’t you ever go to sleep?
Go to sleep… oh please go to sleep
Sleep is good, you need to sleep
Please sleep… please please sleep”
Please save my son from hearing his mother plead in song all day and night and give me some suggestions for new lullabies. My whole family will be grateful.
Gawd I end up singing odd songs that pop into my head
Kumbayah, Away in a manger – and I’m not religious!
ALthough Lauren missheard me and its now “Kumbayah my love”
More often than not though I am humming, or da da daing
I sing this to Liam . I think it bores him to sleep!
Bye bye baby
Bye bye baby
Bye bye baby
Going to sleep now.
repeat repeat ad nauseum
When I get too bored I do improvisations. Slow it down , speed it up, sing harmonies but it always seems to be the basic tune that does the trick.
I also rub his third eye or gently stroke down his forehead over his eyes to encourage them to close.
It took about 20 mins the first time, last time it was about 10 and I’m aiming for 3.
How about Godspeed by the Dixie chicks…?
Tiff at Three Ring has a beautiful one I better not steal hers …
I wave the magic milk wand and it is the only thing that works – if I sang they would start crying for me to stop the howling.
The Wiggles – have the rock a bye your bear …bear’s now asleep – one and one on their CD – but can’t remember it and it;s in the car … I almost fall asleep listening.
I started singing ‘All my lovin’ from the Beatles to Emmie when she was little…haven’t used it in ages but it worked a treat on the midnight flight from Sydney to Perth after Christmas! Mind you I only know the first verse and chorus and sung them over and over and over and over for about 1/2 hour…but my rambunctious two year old went to sleep!!! Then the two year old behind us started her tantrum…and her poor mum didn’t have a successful lullaby…but Em slept through that too!
oo I would love to suggest my boys favourite .. but it is Mommas going to buy you a mocking bird .. lol, changed it to momma, cos thats who I am .. even at 9, J still likes to here it .. been singing it for that long, to all three boys :)
From the age of 3 months to 3 years Guerita went to sleep EVERY NIGHT to the first Norah Jones CD on repeat. I used to love that CD, but now I am a bit sick of it!
With Chiq I am often humming a version of whatever song is in my head – it was Jungle Bells for quite a while there – at whatever tempo suits the pacing and rocking! I also sing that Play School song “Fa La Nana, Bambino” except I changed the words and put her name in it and a bit of Spanish – but the tune is very restful, no matter what words.
I am also guilty of singing (to the lullaby tune)
“Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep little baby, because Mummy, because Mummy is very very tired”. Sometimes the words are under my breath if they are the sort of things I wouldn’t want her saying at pre-school in a few years!!!
I sing “skidamarink” which goes something like,
skidamarink kadink kadink
skidamarink kadoo
i love you
i love you in the morning
and in the afternoon
i love you in the evening
and underneath the moon
and… skidamarink …
not that my baby ever sleeps without breastfeeding .. but at least he stops crying, I think he just wants to hear my squeaky voice LOl
I made this up
Close your eyes
Close your eyes
Close your eyes
It’s time to go to sleep
and
Goodnight {insert name}
Goodnight {insert name}
Goodnight {insert name}
It’s time say good night
Don’t ask me why, but I have often chosen “Take me home, Country Roads” for my kids. Or else Away in a Manger, or you know that really pitiful Eternal Flame by the bangles. Billy JOel has a really beautiful, “lullaby” (often also called sleep my angel”). The other ones I have gone through phases of are “More than words” (not really a lullaby…can’t think of the singers…you know starts…”saying I love you..”) or Eternals “I am Blessed” (that was my special song for Cooper when he was a baby, reminded me how lucky I was when he was really difficult). Another one….”From this moment” by Shania Twain (was my song with Travis.) And Somewhere over the Rainbow is another regular with Brodie.
We have four standards that I have been singing for 8 years – Sing a Song of Sixpence, Moya Mala Djevoicica (on my blog if you want a Croatian lullaby), Twinkle Twinkle and Golden Slumbers, which goes:
Golden slumbers kiss your eyes
Sun will wake you when you rise
Sleep, little baby, do not cry
And I will sing you a lullaby
Darling, darling, lul-la-by
Stole it from a tape borrowed from the library – Carole King with A Basket Full of Verse – it was wonderful for a littlie.
Lately, ‘Salina has requested Morning Town (Peter, Paul and Mary) but I find it waaaaay too repetitive.
Morning town is Michael’s favourite song for the kids.
I used to sing Rock a bye baby to freya, and beren and I used to change the words around each time and both have a go at singing to her.
Or with beren it was any bob marley song, LOL
What about Mother’s Prayer – a take on The prayer and a very familiar tune. It’s gorgeous and the words are beautiful.
I love that song.
I sing Amazing Grace
You’ll Always be my baby~ Sara Evans
or whatever random things pop into my noggin :-)
With both boys I have sung Twinkle Twinkle (I used to sing along with the Fisher Price Aquarium, now I sing along with Tad the frog). Now Sam even does the actions with me! Too cute!
Actually that reminds me, when Josh was a baby I used to sing Twinkle Twinkle, followed by the alphabet song (same tune you see!) and I used to do the alphabet in sign language. Funny how I totally forgot about that until now!