What if I told you that you could make lasting memories with your child in just two to three minutes a day with a simple habit? What if these connections would survive the rocky road of the teenage years? What if these memories would even perpetuate through the “finding myself” stage and bolster the fortitude of your child’s adult years? Would you want to put this habit into practice? You bet you would!
This habit with almost magical properties is simply singing together with your children on a daily basis. We all know music is a fantastic mnemonic device. (Just try to say the alphabet without singing it!) The songs we sing build a nearly unmovable home within us, and they have a wonderful way of flooding our minds with memories and ideas and even comfort. We interact with songs during times of celebration as well as during times of sorrow or distress, and we call them up like old friends–friends we would like to introduce to our children. When we carefully curate a repertoire of songs to teach our children, we are giving our children a gift that truly comes from our own hearts, and we begin forging strong connections with our children. Even after a long, hard day of parenting, the act of singing together can soften and repair and give hope before those little eyelids close to rest for the night.
Singing with your children is a way to communicate security and to pass along your faith to them. As a Christian, I love singing “Jesus Loves Me” with my children every night before they go to bed because it allows their minds to linger on one of the most important truths they will ever hear in life–that Jesus loves them now and always. If I spent just a few minutes reviewing the words to many of the songs of our faith, we would see that these songs cover many crucial doctrinal beliefs, and it would be a tragic missed opportunity to neglect singing them with my children.
So are you ready to start? Chances are, you have already been singing here and there with your children their entire lives (read: “Old MacDonald” and “The Wheels on the Bus”). My invitation to you is to be very selective and intentional about the songs you sing and to make singing a daily habit. Music is fun and most children enjoy it, but even reluctant singers can be encouraged to participate.
And if you’re a children’s choir director, I’ll have some posts just for you! Thank you for all you do to pour into the children in your choir. You have such a privileged position which allows you to impact each of those children in a powerful way!
Your children will not remember if you never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink, but they will remember the songs that you sing with them every day. Let’s start singing!
Come Sing Together 