Lullabies, Schmullabies! Song Suggestions from a Scatterbrained Mom

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Have you ever had one of those nights when your little one(s) just will NOT go to sleep? In spite of Samuel L. Jackson’s excellent read aloud version of “Go the [Bleep] to Sleep” by Adam Mansbach, I know that quoting this particular book to my children is probably not my best option. So, instead, I turn to lullabies.

The only problem is, I’m one of those people who can NEVER remember the right lyrics to lullabies.

When my husband does the singing, he does a spot-on impression of Kermit the Frog singing “Rainbow Connection.” However, when I do the singing, I just sound like Kermit the Frog singing “Twinkle, Twinkle.”  Sometimes I make up my own lyrics to crazy songs that don’t rhyme at all. My youngest loves them, but he laughs too much and wants me to sing them again. When I can’t remember the same words as the first time I sang it, then he throws a fit. Trust me, this is not a good bed time scenario.

It’s really best to have some simple, easy-to-remember, nightly routine-type-songs. Don’t worry. I’ve got a few songs that are so simple and easy, they will get stuck in anyone’s head (and then no one can possibly forget the words). The tune doesn’t matter either, as long as you can fit all the words into some semblance of a line of poetry. Try them out! Your little one will be asleep in no time.

after lullabies sleeping girl with brown bear

Here are a few of our favorite lullabies:

In the Middle of the Night (originally by Billy Joel)

In the middle of the night,

I go walking in my sleep.

In the middle of the night,

I go walking in my sleep.

In the middle of the night,

I go walking in my sleep.

Huggin’ on my Eisley, and my Lukas, and my Asher, (insert your own kid’s names here…)

all night long.

 

Sweet Baby

Sweet Baby(ies), Sweet Baby(ies)

Mama loves her little baby(ies)

Sweet Baby(ies), Sweet Baby(ies)

Mama loves her little baby(ies)

 

Sweet Eisley, Lukas, Asher (insert your child’s name here)

Mama loves her little baby(ies)

Sweet Eisley, Lukas, Asher

Mama loves her little baby(ies)

 

Hush Little Baby (originally by Mother Goose…is that really her real name?)

Hush little baby, don’t you cry.

Mama’s gonna sing you a lullaby.

And if that lullaby won’t work.

Daddy’s gonna get you a big green truck.

Then I repeat the same words, but change “big green truck” for anything that pops into my head, like “big cantaloupe” or “boa constrictor.” 

 

I Would Walk 500 Miles (originally by the Proclaimers)

When I wake up, well I know I wanna be,

I wanna be the mom who wakes up next to you.

And when I go out, yes I know I wanna be,

I wanna be the mom who goes along with you.

(When you sing this verse again, just sing about coloring pictures, going for walks, eating lunch, or reading books.)

 

Well, I would walk 500 miles

And, I would walk 500 more

Just to be the mom who walks a thousand miles

to lay down next to you.  (My kids did not like it when I sang about falling down, so I changed it up.)

Nah, nah, nah, nah

Nah, nah, nah, nah

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah

Nah, nah, nah, nap

Nah, nah, nah, nah

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah

Now clue me in! What are your favorite lullabies, and how in the world do you remember the words every night in the dark?