We’re beyond “routine” with the bedtime routine in this house. It’s become a superstition. So much so that when Z was a toddler, I had to read the same book, sing the same three songs (“O Holy Night,” “Scarborough Fair,” and “All the Pretty Little Horses”) in the same order, and give her the same stuffed friend for every single nap and bedtime. Followed by the ever popular, ever annoying Drink Of Water.
Whatever works, right?
While I usually end Maverick’s routine with the time-honored classic “All the Pretty Little Horses,” I’m trying to mix it up a little more. Mostly because he’s still taking two or three naps a day, plus bedtime, and I can only handle so much of the same three songs.
So here’s what I’ve got in my bedtime arsenal:
- All the Pretty Little Horses
- Loch Lomond
- O Holy Night (a little too long for Maverick, & I gotta sing it loud when I sing it otherwise I can’t pretend I’m auditioning for church choir solos. I’ll save this one for later)
- In Ancient Egypt (a made-up song – here’s the “sheet” music & lyrics)
- Sleep, Baby, Sleep (I made up my own melody for this, but I think there are others)
- Peace Like a River (don’t I wish)
- Ring Around the Moon
- Scarborough Fair
- a mutant version of I Love the Mountains (either I wasn’t taught the right way, or I heard it incorrectly – I’m guessing the latter because that happens all the time)
- You Are My Sunshine (Z doesn’t like this one, thinks it’s too sad because of the part where “I held my head and cried”)
- Three Little Birds
Any suggestions? What did your parents sing to you? What do you sing to your kids or nieces or nephews or the little boogers in your life?
Beth Hull 
My sister fought the “drink of water” excuse by giving each boy a sippy bottle to store by their bed. So now it has become, “my pillow is too hot” and it needs to be flipped.
We got read to, but we never got sung to. We did, however. devour “Sing the Hit Songs of Sesame Street,” and “Peter Paul and Mommy.”
Yes, I figure it if isn’t the Drink Of Water, it’ll be something else. As in your sister’s case with the Too-Hot Pillow.
“Peter Paul and Mommy?” I gotta look that one up.
Didn’t I make you a copy? I thought I did. Or did I just give you Free to Be You and Me? Or did I not give you that either?
Lol. My song it whatever the swing plays cause that’s the only place L will nap during the day.
Maverick’s baby swing has some of the old faves, but it, like, distorts them or something. So you’re singing “Alouette,” and then all of a sudden there aren’t enough beats to finish “je te plumerer” (or however that’s spelled, I can’t be bothered to look it up right now). I hope L’s swing sings the whole song. (tongue twister!)
Hysterical post–love that picture. I only recently remembered “You Are My Sunshine” and subsituted the crying for lifting head and smiling, or something like that. When I finished singing it the first time, my son said, “Good one, Mama!” I nearly died. I try “Over The Rainbow”, but always forget the lyryics. I keep meaning to look them up. “You’ve Got A Friend” is big around here, but mainly “Sweet Baby James”, he loves that one. Oh, and “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad” (which I sing twice through–love it because it’s long) and “Home On The Range”. Thanks for the list! Will come in handy. Must try “Scarborough Fair”.
I mean I substituted laughing for crying–doh. Obviously I get tons of sleep…
Hmm, I’ll have to look up “Sweet Baby James,” as well as the lyrics to “Over the Rainbow,” which I also forget! Thanks for the ideas!
Such a sweet love that Mav!! Oddly, as much as I love to sing, I really haven’t done much singing to my kiddos. I do remember humming & singing what I was thinking or feeling when trying to get them to sleep (“We all need rest / Mommy is tired / I love you / Please please REST”) that sorta thing…but no real songs. I like your song list!
Yeah, I also like taking familiar tunes and changing the lyrics to reflect my own personal agenda. “Row, row, row your boat,” becomes, “Go, go, go to sleep.”