While many lullaby CD’s speak down to kids, Jane Roman-Pitt’s Midnight Lullaby raises them up. This album is magic from start to finish. If you enjoy a folk/country sound you will adore this album. Jane’s voice is like warm honey. Her arrangements of songs like “Baby That’s Not All” by Josh Ritter and “The Sweetest Gift” by Sade transform them into perfect music to relax to.
My favorites, however, are Jane’s original music especially “Welcome Home to Love.”
Did you catch the great article on the creativity crisis in Newsweek last July? If you didn’t, here is a link . Basically it concluded that our children are less creative now than they were in 1990 and it talks about the importance of creativity and flexibility in our lives both as children and as successful adults.
I link these articles together because I think it is crucial as parents that we find ways to be creative and “silly” with our children. We are our their first teachers and if they see us playing then they won’t stop playing as they grow older.
Playing with words, melodies, stories…it all keeps us flexible in our thinking and in our problem solving. Playing with our children, singing with our children, making up silly rhymes and acting out new stories, all of these activities are to be honored. The work of childhood is not learning to read, it is learning to be human and that is not something we can get from a flashcard.
‘nuf said. Go play!
Looking for great ways to be creative with your newborn through three year old? Check out our Mommy Jingles program! Sign up for our free report here on lullaby link for a valuable savings coupon first
After reading about yet another piece of technology that can sing for parents and allow them to “interact remotely” I am asking myself “Is singing to your child yourself while actually holding them becoming a radical act?” Forgive me, but today I am giving in to the urge to rant a bit against the marketing machine that constantly works to make us feel that gadgets can raise our children better than we can.
Have we become so judgemental of our own voices that we would rather have our babies in utero bond with music other than our own voices? Don’t we as parents want to be the voice of comfort to our own children? Are we really okay with our voices coming from a machine instead of from ourselves?
There was an article a few months ago about a child calling his iphone “Mama.” Is that funny or tragic?
I understand that things like this baby monitor can make our lives more convenient, but when has raising children ever been “convenient?” When has that convenience been the goal of parenting?
It is not convenient to get up with a baby in the middle of the night for the first or the fourth time and the fact that parents do that is what makes it so heroic. It is not convenient to walk your baby around when they have colic or lay beside them to comfort them. It is not convenient to take the time to sing instead of putting on a CD or an iphone but IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Our children need to hear our voices. They need to know that music is something created not just consumed. They need to be held and comforted by our own hands. They need to know that they are being raised by loving people who are willing to sacrifice the convenience of machines for the comfort of home.
What do you think? Do you sing to your child? What do you think about technology in the nursery?
As the mother of a son born prematurely I know that what Florida Professor Jayne Standley says is true. Lullabies are crucial for premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
When I was separated from my son after his birth, his father took a recording of my voice to the NICU with him. As soon as my son heard me singing he immediately relaxed and breathed more deeply. I know that lullabies and a mother’s voice have the power to heal.
We continued to use my CD in the NICU when my son cried and I could not hold him. (We were only allowed to hold him every three hours as it was thought that it took too much out of him). The nurses told us that it always calmed him. Of course, I sang or hummed to him whenever I could.
Many mothers tell me that they are afraid that their child just won’t like listening to them sing. However, study after study has confirmed that your child loves your voice because it is their voice of comfort. I found this video and I just love it. It is a video of a dog, a malamute, singing a lullaby to a baby in her household. Music and sound connect us in profound ways-even across species.
So, at long last! Lullaby and Goodnight – 33 Lullabies for Babies is available! Each Lullaby CD includes:
*33 a capella lullabies sung simply and beautifully to ensure moments of peace,
*a downloadable lyrics book of all the songs
*a link to a free video that teaches parents and caregivers why lullabies are important and how to creatively incorporate them into your day with your child.
Get your copy of this great triple album today at Createspace! Or order from Amazon!
33 lullabies for babies
This triple album is also available in 3 smaller collections of MP3′s: Traditional Lullabies, Angel Lullabies and Celtic Lullabies. Hear clips and download at our lullaby shop.
Lullaby and Goodnight makes a great gift for new moms.
Hi everyone! Just wanted to touch base and let you in on what has been keeping me from blogging! My new lullaby album entitled Lullaby and Goodnight, 33 lullabies for babies is going to be released soon! I thought you might enjoy moving along this journey with me. Here is a video about the recording studio and a sneak peek at the album! Let me know what you think!
As my son grows I am aware of how bedtimes have changed and evolved for us. When he slept under my arm as a newborn, when he began sleeping in his Ambybaby and then his bed, our family bed and all the transitions in between.
I remember the exhaustion of the early years and now know how much I have come to love our routines as a way of connecting. Now my son has nights when he prefers his father to put him to bed and I must admit that while there is nothing more beautiful than watching my husband with my son, I miss those final kisses of the day.
Last night I asked, “If Daddy is going to put you to bed, do you have any extra special hugs for me?” “Mommy, I will give you the most specialist hug and kiss I have!” he replied. He did and it helped me to sleep.
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This post was inspired by a beautiful article in the New York Times by Siri Hustvedt. I hope you will take a moment to read it. It touches on the importance of bedtime routines and rituals, how they shape us and prepare us for dreamtime.
If you prefer you can see my video review on Youtube here.
Here at Lullaby Link our goal is to help you create a sonic environment that you and your children will thrive in. We are asked to review many CD’s but our promise to you is that you will only hear about the CD’s that we can enthusiastically endorse. Night Night by Michael and Sandy Bashaw gets a very big thumb’s up.
This album is fun as well as entrancing. There is an energy about it that is filled with wonder and comfort. I played this album the other day when I was not feeling well and it was like I was being covered with a warm blanket and held in light.
The Bashaws say, “We never musically condescend to children, but treat their minds and sensibilities with respect.” This comes clear in their hypnotic arrangements. These songs are arranged so that the familiar lullaby melodies magically appear like old friends.
The first song Bath Before Bed combines lively flutes and water sounds that are just delightful. It captures the joy that children find in water. Other songs include harmonica, ukulele, frame drum, guitar and keyboard. Vocals float in and out on layers of sound. I like that the CD begins on a lively note and then moves into a more mellow place by the end where it also ends in water with Ocean’s Promise an original composition by the Bashaw’s sure to float you off to sleep.
I cannot recommend this album highly enough. As part of a pre-bedtime routine, healing music when you need comfort or music for you to relax to after the children are in bed. This album is soulful magic.
The Bashaw’s were generous enough to give me a copy to give away to a lucky follower! Join our Facebook page and leave me a comment to let me know why you need some healing music. Our winner will be drawn at random.
To read a more extensive review, and to enter to win a copy of Midnight Lullaby, I invite you to my new blog:
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