Lullabies and their importance in childhood.

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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Quiet play.

How does one define "quiet play"? Well, for most mums' it is any activity which keeps a child or children working quietly on a project which is interesting, but not exciting or very stimulating. Many sleep experts define quiet play as reading or being read to, listening to music, drawing or colouring in. Quiet play is a good wind down activity which leads to bed time and doesn't over stimulate or over excite the child. That's fine as far as it goes.

If you are working, even with a child as young as three to six months, then reading a book to them is a pleasant activity which does not require any active response from the child. Starting this kind of activity at an early age is good because it encourages use of language and recognition of simple objects. Even reading nursery rhythms is useful as the learning of cadence, rhythm and phrasing helps with language development. Listening to music which is quiet and soothing without any sudden loud phrases or jarring noise, (this is surely a matter of personal taste) can be soothing to the child. In one so small being held comfortably and patted slowly or stroked gently can also be soothing.

Quiet play does not include computer games or games which require interaction at a high level. These undoubtedly have their place but it is not as a pre cursor to bedtime. It is important to stimulate immagination but bed time is not a good time for this particularly if your child has nightmares or fears of the dark or being alone.

Quiet time is a useful time in bonding with a parent who is always busy, or not available during the day. The last hour of wake time is a good time to spend listening to your child telling you about his/her day, enjoying close physical contact, and learning to relax and wind down together is good for both parent and child. The last hour before bed time is quality time for parents and children and we do all a disservice if we just switch on the television and expect that to be enough.