To prepare for my article this week, I asked other parents, teachers, and musicians- what is the best music to soothe children ages 6 and under? I got a terrific response with a lot of input, so for today's article, I'll talk a bit about why music has the power to soothe, give a few examples, and next week I'll go more into the great variety of options you have to play or sing to children. So- why does music have the power to calm children down? Scientists are still making theories about how lullabies evolved- here is some of what science has shown us:*
- Babies know and respond to their mother's voice, even before they are born.
- Lullabies can lower heart rate, increase blood oxygen and sucking response, and release pain-coping endorphins for the baby, particularly if sung by the mother.
- Recorded, soothing music can have a similar effect, but live music has been shown to be more effective, even if it isn't sung by the mother.
Before we go any further- what is a lullaby? A lullaby is defined as a soothing song or a piece of music that is usually played for children. The articles to which I refer you will tell you most lullabies are in 6/8 meter, which is not necessarily the case, but they are songs to which you can rock your baby, if not every 3 beats, then every 2 beats. They are songs that replicate the rhythm of both mom's heartbeat, and of being rocked while mom walked with baby in the womb. A heartbeat at rest is around 60 beats per minute, the same as one per second, and that is also around the speed that the baby can be rocked to a lullaby. Lullabies have been argued to be one of the earliest forms of both music and language, and are at their most primal form sung by a single voice- that of the mother being the most prevalent throughout human development.
Lullabies also reflect a daily rhythm- they are part of a routine for daily care which includes (hopefully) a nap time, and promotes learning a regular, daily bedtime. A lullaby taken out of context may not have the same effect that it would have at the time of day that the body is becoming accustomed to calming down. However, soothing music can be introduced at other times of day as well- early childhood teachers routinely do this to promote smooth transitioning to different activities throughout the day.
Traditional lullabies also give us a glimpse at what it has been like to be a mother over the ages. The words to traditional lullabies can be pretty tragic, and more reflective of the mother coping with sadness and strain taking care of one or many children in a world of peril. The best lullabies can help soothe both the adult caregiver and the baby- a win win for the promotion of our species for sure.
For examples, I'll start with my own lullaby story, which is so simple but a good example of what both music and consistency can do. I sang, from birth to about age six, to my son, "All the Pretty Little Horses," (a modified version, without the part about butterflies and bees), at nap time and bedtime, every day. I found the lullaby in a book I had been given, and I just really liked the melody. Always the same- I kept singing it, over and over, until he went to sleep. When he was very young, I would sing it to him in a rocking chair or a swing as he rocked. When he was older, he would lie in bed and I would sit by him and sing. It was the final part of a bedtime routine, dinner, bath, reading, song. I would sing, and he would always go to sleep- no matter how crazy our day had been, (believe me we had some doozies), or how sick he might have felt, it might've taken a little longer on some days- but it always worked.
Parents who responded to my original inquiry had similar reports of finding something that worked well- but slightly different stories about how they found the songs. Some reported singing a lullaby they remembered parents singing to them. Some introduced lullabies later that were the result of the child's preference after having seen children's television shows, and some made up their own lullabies. And speaking of the totally made up ones- I had several musician/teacher/parents share their original, soothing music with me. You can link to find out more about their work below.** (I also included a link to my original songs that are more on the soothing side).
Lullabies and soothing music are some of the oldest types of music and communication known to us. We are wired for this type of music to speak to us- to tell us everything will be ok. That's a message we all need, young and old alike! To incorporate more soothing music into your daily routine, I suggest picking three selections to try and sticking with the one that seems like it works the best. If you don't sing normally, try singing (or even humming) with a recording first until you get the hang of the song. You can do it! More on the plethora of soothing music choices next week!
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Hush little (children) (3)
It's time to go to sleep.
The (chickens) are sleeping
They do not make a peep. (These words can be substituted).
Jean Young, teacher- Jean suggests an easy and soothing song she wrote:
It's time for bed, it's time for sleep.
It's time for (bunnies) and breathing deep.
Mmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm
(wiggling nose as you hum)
So close your eyes and go to sleep. (You can change animals and movements).
Liz Hannan, teacher- Liz suggests using simple, mi, re, do, melody patterns, sung or played on a Wuyou drum, Harmony Grisman's "Breathing Peace," and Betsy Rose's "I Am Breathing."
