Favourite Lullabies I sing to my kids

I have always been very vocal with my children, be it reading stories, singing lullabies or ahem, yelling(sometimes). I used to be so tacit before I became a mother. But since my first baby was born, my vocal chords have been exercising a great deal. Ofcourse, I'm loving it!

Tip: You can control yelling by saying this to yourself : "she's only two, she's only two,.... " or whatever is your kid's age.

The following are the lullabies I sing most often at bedtime.

1. Jaamu raathiri, Jabilamma song from the Telugu movie KshanaKshanam. This wasn't supposed to be a 'baby' lullaby, but the lyrics are so meaningful . The protagonist(Venkatesh) sings this song to comfort the leading lady(Sridevi), when she's scared of the goons chasing her and apprehensive of spending a night in the jungle with a total stranger. Penned by Sirivennela Seetharama Sastri and composed by Keeravani, its a masterpiece that stands the test of time. This song is also one of the first songs my first born used to hum.

2. Twinkle, Twinkle little star; the full five stanzas. The original poem was written in England by Jane Taylor. But the tune as we know it was composed by Mozart to a French poem 'Ah, vous diraj-es, Maman'. Somehow, this tune was set to Twinkle, twinkle little star, contrary to popular belief that Mozart composed it. It is simply addictive.

3. Hush, little baby, don't say a word! This song lulls while teaching rhythm and sequence.

4. Lullaby and Goodnight! is a classic melody. A part of this famous composition by German pianist Johannes Brahms was taken from German folk poems and the rest was written by George Scherer. Though I haven't learnt to croon it well enough, I hum through. I usually play it on my phone for the little ones.

Singing encourages listening, self-expression, verbal confidence and an eagerness to communicate. While you bond with your children over some songs, it teaches them more than just music. Kids learn patterning, rhyme and rhythm. It promotes deep breathing, stimulates brain activity and strengthens memory. Start singing to your little ones, if you haven't already, with lotsa lovve!!