DO you sing your children to sleep...

[MrsBates]

I always sing them a few songs after their story, or just sing if late and lights out. They have special requests so can't be too bad. Anyone else sing as a regular thing and what songs?

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

my children would have nightmares if i sung howled them to sleep but my sister sings to them for me when she is here at bedtime

[Blandmum]

'you are my sunshine'

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

oh, silent nigh holy night/away in a manger/somewhere over the rainbow/ white cliffs of dover are some of the songs she sings them

[KatyMac]

We normally use this as a test of maturity

When children say shush or put their finger over my mouth we know they are of sound mind

Grandfathers clock, my Bonnie, Sky Boat song, Old lady who swallowed a fly, hole in my bucket,Hundreds of others

[claricebeansmum]

Like SheSells - my DC ask me specifically not to sing

[DillyTanty]

golden slumbers. every night.

[Quattrocento]

Used to do singing in the bath all the time (sadly no more). Singing v energetic in the Quattro household so not very conducive to bedtimes.

Hundreds of nursery songs, incy wincy and wiggly woo and twinkle twinkle, and row row row (good bathtime song that). I had them both warbling songs from Shakespeare for a couple of months. Must've been feeling highbrow or guilty or something ...

[thumbwitch]

still on rockabye baby - DS doesn't like Golden Slumbers though. He always squirms if I start that one. Don't regularly sing him to sleep, only if nothing else is working.

[EBenes]

I don't usually worry about dd falling asleep - she's nearly 2, and when the last story is read, I just leave her awake - sitting up, even - with her nightlight on and she's asleep in no more than half an hour ever, without a peep from her again. However, I recently found that if I do sing her a song she falls asleep while I'm still in the room, which is quite cute, so I've taken to doing that. I always sing The Owl and the Pussycat, she always says 'Again' at the end, but tonight, she was asleep after the first go.

[cadelaide]

Moon River, and one I made up for DS when he was a week old, to the tune of "Yellow Bird" (I should mention he was jaundiced! );

Yellow Boy, up high in banana tree
Yellow Boy, d'you look like your Dad or me?
Got your Mummy's eyes, shut for beddy-byes,
Got your Daddy's mouth, helps your food go South,
Don't know 'bout your toes, got a mystery nose,
And you're lovely to me.

[MrsBates]

I sing You Are My Sunshine too. My Nan used to sing it to me when I was little. Grew up with a lot of singing in the house - and I love singing the same songs to my children - my parents are dead and I can hear their voices singing to me when I sing the same songs. Lots of Irish and Scottish folk stuff and hippy 60's things. And stuff like Moon River and A nightingale Sang in Berkley Square.

Actually, don't sing them to sleep anymore, but just to settle them before ducking out and scurrying off for a glass of wine.

[cadelaide]

Actually that was waaay too personal.

I'm embarrassed and I wish I hadn't posted that.

[cadelaide]

Oh Mrs Bates, lovely songs.

[MrsBates]

Yellow boy - that's hilarious - love it. You could do 'Thou Swell' for kids with mumps (if anyone gets that now) and Who do you Think you are kidding Mr Hitler for German measles. Or a bit of Coldplay good for jaundice too.

[Skramble]

I used to drone 10 green bottles until they went over.

[cadelaide]

Coldplay

[WendyWeber]

You are my sunshine here too, mb

[elliott]

Yes. the playlist is:
owl and the pussycat
sing sing sing
blackbird (beatles)
rock a bye baby
daisy daisy
my old man
kum-by-a

(they are 7 and 5 and show no signs of mutiny yet!)

[thumbwitch]

I sing the rest of the day to DS, not to send him to sleep but to make him laugh and smile - he likes You are my sunshine; theme tunes from Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones; baby,baby,baby; William Tell Overture; Scotland the Brave; the Floral Dance; in an English Country Garden;
and we dance the tango every now and then, which he thinks is hysterical (DS is 8mo!)

[Shitemum]

DD2, nearly 2, insists on 'Maria' from West side story...every night...

[WowOoo]

Songs I think will be suitable are turned down. Got a request for Grand Old Duke of York yesterday..it didn't send him to sleep either..!!
Ah, lovely to read the songs people sing. Must do some tango-ing tomorrow.

[domesticslattern]

Hush little baby (Mockingbird song) here. It's good to have one where the verses can be extended ad infinitum...

Will try theme tune from Star Wars tomorrow, thumbwitch!

[thumbwitch]

ooh, just remembered we do a few animal ones too:
the animals went in 2 by 2 hurrah
we went to the animal fair
nellie the elephant
oo oo oo the funky gibbon
Old MacDonald had a farm

and have done the mockngbird song too but I always forget bits of it.

A short side-track - if any of you still drink a good drinking game is to try and sing the theme tunes to Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Superman, the Thunderbirds and ET. It can be hard enough sober, but it's pretty tricky with drink on board cos they're all quite similar in places. (Yes I know it's because they're mostly by John Williams)

[Niecie]

We used to do

Hush Little baby (Mockingbird)
Twinkle Twinkle
Morningtown Ride (train whistle blowing, makes a sleepy noise)

Also, occasionally, Swing Low Sweet Chariot and You are my Sunshine.

Both my DS's liked it until they were about 3 and then asked us to stop. DS2 would go as far as to stick his fingers in my mouth for fear that I would start- I didn't think I was that bad.

[elkiedee]

I can't actually sing but songs I've attempted with ds on occasion at night include:
Bandiera Rossa
Joe Hill
Puff the Magic Dragon

My mum used to sing Leaving on a Jet Plane to me