Parents have always sung songs to their children. These songs can be the precursors to developing language, learning about cadence and rhythm. Even very young infants who have heard a song repeated, will start to repeat the cadence and rhythm of the end of the verse. This is also true of the nursery rhymes we tell our children. If they are repeated regularly from infancy, by a few months the child will replicate the last part of the verse.
The songs you choose to sing are not as important as the sound of your voice.
Dr. John Lind, professor emeritus at Karolinska
Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, discovered that children who have parents with
rather poor singing voices still grow up to love to sing, and are able to sing
on key (Fletcher, 1981, p. 26). It is more important that parents sing to their
babies than that they sing well. Authorities like Lind and Hardgrove (1978)
remind us, “It is not the quality of the voice that matters, it is the
connection....It is not the on-key, smooth mechanical perfection that brings joy
to infants as well as adults. The joy comes in the rendition, and the example
of this intimate parent-to-infant message encourages the child to sing”
Although singing lullabies comes naturally to many people, some may need a
few tips on sharing them with infants. Infants’ interest in a world of
sound can be enhanced in different ways and through different qualities of
tones and pitches, rhythmical movement, and songs.
Suggestions for Singing Lullabies to Infants
Build a repertoire of favorite lullabies. If possible, memorize them. This is important, as
many of today's young parents have no memories of lullabies being sung to
them, and are not familiar with the most beautiful lullabies from around
the world. There are excellent lullaby books on the market. There is also
a wide variety of good lullaby compact discs (CDs) and cassette tapes
available.
- Note: Tapes and CDs should be used only as accompaniment or as an aid when learning new songs. The parent's or teacher's voice should always be present.
- Some infants prefer one lullaby over another; however, don't limit your singing to only music considered to be lullabies. Try singing contemporary songs and show tunes. Infants enjoy variety and change of pace.
- As you securely hold and gently rock an infant, smile warmly and look directly into the infant's face and eyes. This kind of "bonding" brings contentment and security to the infant.
As your child grows action songs become more interesting because the actions encourage play and make the music even more interactive. Singing can lift the spirits even on a grey day when the world seems to be against you, making time to make music with your little one is an intimate connection that will live on and probably be replayed with their own children. Lullabies can be a lifelong gift carried through generations like family histories.
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