What songs do you sing at bedtime?

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Hi all,

I know this has been done loads of times before but I can't seem to find the threads when I search.

Just the above question really. Ds is 20 months and I hear "more singing mummy" a lot at bedtime so need to expand by repertoire!!

Any suggestions??
Tia!

[tararabumdeay]

You Are my Sunshine and Daisy Daisy were always favourites.

I think they also had most of WW1, some of WW2, all The Beatles and a couple of Monty Python.

I wouldn't recommend 'My Baby Has Gone Down the Plughole' though as both have admitted to being freaked out about it now they're older.

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Thanks for replying, what's ww1 and ww2?

[TheRollingCrone]

That's the glory of love

Morning town train

On the good ship lollipop

It's only a paper Moon

She's nearly 9 now, so doesn't happen unless she's ill

[ButtfaceMiscreant]

I sing Baby Mine (from Dumbo), Stay Awake (from Mary Poppins) Somewhere over the Rainbow (Wizard of Oz) and more recently Go to Sleep (Tee and Mo on Cbeebies). Plus whatever nursery rhymes get requested! But always at least one of the first three

[tararabumdeay]

WW1 'Pack Up Your Troubles' and 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' to name a couple.

WW2 'White Cliffs of Dover' - Try singing the line 'And Johnny will go to sleep in his own little bed again...' to your LO without crying.

[SilverHoney]

I do twinkle twinkle and you are my sunshine. When she was tiny and fighting sleep I liked Mary Poppins stay awake, don't go to sleep. Reverse psychology at its finest!

However, if I'm trying to drag out song time during the day I find wheels on the bus and Old Macdonald are good as I can just do verse after verse with a new action / animal.

[liquidrevolution]

the reverse psychology sleep song from mary poppins didnt work for me. I usually sing the cbeebies goodnight song but now sing tee and mo 'go to sleep' which makes me sob

other than that you are my sunshine, truly scrumptious and breathless (by nick cave and the bad seeds).

[Coldhandscoldheart]

Morningtown ride, mockingbird hill (1st & last verses only) scarlet ribbons, the Mingulay boat song, When at night I go to sleep (slightly adjusted, it's from Hansel & Gretel & I don't have the range!), When a knight won his spurs, I see the moon,
Anything I think is appropriate ( & probably some that aren't) and that comes to mind.
Not all of them every night either!

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Thanks for all the suggestions, i'm off to YouTube!

[EllyMayClampett]

London Bridge is Falling Down

She'll be coming Round the Mountain

There was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly

Lady Bird Fly Away Home

Where Have You Been Billy Boy

Sing a Song of Six Pence

Daisy, Daisy Give Me Your Answer Do

Aiko Aiko (Mardi Gras "Indian Song")

Simple Gifts

[ODog]

Twinkle twinkle, rock a bye baby or frere jacques. DS only ever asks for those 3 at bedtime for some reason.

[Hagothehills]

Twinkle twinkle (affectionately known as twinkle star), hushabye mountain from chitty chitty bang bang but slower/calmer than in the film and mocking bird are my three go toos. Also lullaby by Newton Faulkner but can never remember the words properly

[SlipperyJack]

Waltzing Matilda
Still Growing (folk song - all about a 21 year old woman whose father marries her off to a 15 year old who dies at 18 after he's "gotten her a son" - very appropriate, obviously)
Stille Nacht (Christmas only)
I'll Never Find Another You (The Seekers)
The Slow Train (Flanders & Swann)
The Power Of Love (FGTH)
Scarborough Fair

[SlipperyJack]

Oh yes, and The Big Rock Candy Mountain. The bit about never changing your socks made them giggle.

[SleepyRoo]

Lavenders Blue
Pussycat Where Have You Been
Owl & Pussycat
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Bye baby bunting
Hush little baby

[Grassgreendashhabi]

Omg I'm a terrible mum. Not sang a single song at bedtime.

I do wheels on the bus when cleaning teeth and that's it

[SillySongsWithLarry]

I always used to sing the good morning song from Magic Kingdom to the children. We went there when they were babies they loved it.

[didireallysaythat]

Fascination Street and Pinball Wizard.

I don't know the words to most/any of the songs above. When do you learn them ?

[CoodleMoodle]

We used to do Sailing by Rod Stewart. It's one of my favourite songs and it was gentle enough to do at bedtime.

Now DD(2) usually tells us not to sing at all, but if she requests a song it's always the bloody Bing Bong Song (from Peppa)...

[PurpleAquilegia]

Killing Me Softly by Carly Simon, because it was the only song I could sing in tune. Once she was old enough to understand what I was singing, I sang 'telling me softly' instead of 'killing me softly'.

The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, because I think it gives very sound life advice. She could sing all the words by the time she was five.

HTH.

[OutOfTime]

The wheels on the goddamn bus. Repeat X 100
Occasionally King toddler will request row row your boat to shake it up a little. That's a good day.

[60sname]

The meatball song

[tararabumdeay]

Most of the songs we passed on to our DCs were learnt when were passed down from when we were children and possibly also passed down to out parents from theirs.

I think it's important for children to know old songs - the simple and repetitive ones. It helps with learning patterns in music; rhyme and rhythm.

We are, after all, a species of aural tradition.

DS1's second Christmas he asked for a rendition of 'Go and Eat Something'. His Italian Granddad used to say 'mangé' (sp) for eat. Song was 'Away in a Manger'. Took a moment but he got his request.

[Wincher]

Feed the birds, from Mary Poppins, and Old Sergeant Major jumped from 30 thousand feet. What's the real name of that song? Both songs have real sleep associations for our 2.11 year old now!

[BertieBotts]

I wish I'd sung to mine! I think DS would think I was a bit mad if I tried it now Maybe I will do it anyway

I am too self conscious to sing in front of DH even though he's said my singing voice is nice in the past. :( I think that's what stopped me when DS was little too.

I remember my mum singing morningtown ride to me.