Bedtime Song Suggestions?

[SquiggyJ]

I normally sing my 18 month old daughter to sleep. Around Christmas I discovered how effective The 12 Days of Christmas is as a bedtime song, and I've been singing it ever since. I'd like to move away from singing a Christmas carol every night, and I was wondering if anybody has some suggestions on any songs that serve the same purpose. Specifically they must be long and repetitive like 12 Days of Christmas.

I have already ruled out B-I-N-G-O and 99 Bottles of Beer for obvious reasons.

[Subhuti]

My Bonnie lies over the ocean


Hush little baby

Rockaby baby

Three blind mice

I've been working on the railroad

5 little ducks sitting in a row or five little monkeys jumping on the bed

Hth

[pranava]

Our favorite is Sarah McLachlan's "Ice Cream"  It's so sweet and you can add as many verses as you like.  the song goes "Your love is better than chocolate. . . ." then "ice cream"  we add all DS's favorite foods.  And replace the verse "everyone here knows how to cry" with "everyone here knows how to smile"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAhv0XGv8Pc

[crunchy_mommy]

DS's current favorites:

Kumbaya
Hush Little Baby
Daddy Song (which is a made-up song to the tune of Great Green Globs of Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts -- "Daddy rides in a big red airplane, a big red airplane, a big red airplane. Daddy rides in a big red airplane, allll day long." repeat with every vehicle imaginable)
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
Dem Dry Bones

[mrskatiekuj]

We sing a song to my son & daughter that goes like this:

"_______(insert child's name) is the boy/girl that mommy loves._________ is the boy/girl that Daddy loves. _________ is the boy/girl that we all love. Dear, sweet boy/girl in our world."

next stanza is the same w/different people ex. "______ is the boy/girl that grandpa loves. _________ is the boy/girl that sister loves. ________ is the boy/girl that we all love. dear, sweet boy/girl in our world" I continue to sing that, naming all the people in our family/extended family - until baby is asleep.

[RubenZ]

We do same thing.  Just made up a song with our daughters name.  She seemed to respond better with things she could relate to.
 

Originally Posted by mrskatiekuj 

We sing a song to my son & daughter that goes like this:

"_______(insert child's name) is the boy/girl that mommy loves._________ is the boy/girl that Daddy loves. _________ is the boy/girl that we all love. Dear, sweet boy/girl in our world."

next stanza is the same w/different people ex. "______ is the boy/girl that grandpa loves. _________ is the boy/girl that sister loves. ________ is the boy/girl that we all love. dear, sweet boy/girl in our world" I continue to sing that, naming all the people in our family/extended family - until baby is asleep.

[HollyBearsMom]

I always sang a song that went

Say goodnight

Say goodnight

Say goodnight to the moon

The bright shining moon

Say goodnight

Say goodnight 

Say goodnight

The moon is then replaced by the stars, the barn, the birds, the dogs etc, etc

ANother popular one was a version of "Oh My Darling Clementine" and "Hi Ho Hi Ho Its off to work we go"

[simplemama32]

We sing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer year round.    But yeah, it gets old.  Like some of the PP's, I make up a lot of songs that are basically a list of people who love DS, or things/animals/people we're saying goodnight to.

Golden Slumbers is very soothing, as is a song called Down to the River.  I love the latter because it's a very soft, pretty melody, and repetitive...but a warning that it is religious in case you're not.  You could probably make up some words, though.

[hakeber]

We do

Twinkle twinkle little star

Hush little Baby (this is a good one for the genre you are doing because it's several verses of simlar tone then finally "you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town"  it winds down nicely.)

Stay Awake (from Mary Poppins)

Tender Shepard

Hush-a-bye

My sunshine

I also sing other soft songs now and then like Lily of the Valley, and Blackbird

[e(Lisa)beth]

We sing:

you are my sunshine

red roses for a blue lady

swing low sweet chariot

the galaxy song

my favorite things

[olivesmama]

i sing you are my sunshine, dream a little dream of me, find my way back home http://youtu.be/Iy9RrLi6GUk , and bye lo baby which you can hear here... its number 11. http://www.rhapsody.com/playlistcentral/playlistdetail?playlistId=13015207 . the last 2 are baby's favorites. bye lo baby is nice because you can add whoever you want to to it. we sing

 bye lo baby

bye lo baby

bye lo baby

bye lo baby bye

momma will love you

momma will love you

momma will love you

all of her life

and then gaga, and nani, and anna, and max, and choka, and kaka, and grandpa, and ayla, and bella, and jaji, until she falls asleep. just alternate between "bye lo baby" and "whoever will love you"!

[YayJennie]

We have a special song that my mom used to sing to my brother and me when we were little.  It goes: "I love you so much, I love you so much, I can't even tell you how much I love you.  You're special to me, you're special to me, I'm lucky to have you as part of my life.  I love you I love you I love you.  I love you I love you I love you.  I love you so much, I love you so much, I can't even tell you how much I love you."  I wish I could find the music online, it's a cute little tune!

We also sing:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Winkin, Blinken and Nod

Hush Little Baby

Itsy Bitsy Spider

[mrsjerrygarcia]

I sing Puff the Magic dragon and Morningtown Ride because those are what my dad sang to me when I was little. Also, You are my sunshine, Only Exception by Paramore (my son LOVES it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YP7GCXqdqU

[MadiMamacita]

the ants go marching
the wheels on the bus
down by the bay
5 little ducks

[2goingon2]

I sing a song by the Beatles that is on the White Album.  The first time I ever heard it I knew I wanted to sing it to my children when I had them...and I have.  All five of them.

"Now's the time to say good night

good night, sleep tight

Now the sun turns out his light

good night, sleep tight

dream sweet dreams for me

dream sweet dreams for you

Close your eyes and I'll close mine

good night, sleep tight

Now the moon begins to shine

good night, sleep tight

dream sweet dreams for me

dream sweet dreams for you"

Ringo Starr is the one singing it...bless his heart.  He was a better drummer than a singer but it is such a sweet little song.  We also sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the ABC's, Baa Baa Black Sheep and Beep Beep Robot...which my husband made up to the tune of Baa Baa.

[goldenwillow]

Gosh I am glad I am not the only one out there not completely singing kids songs.  Most of them drive me nuts .

I sing a few ol kids songs...

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Doe a Deer, Female Deer (that is our current winner)

Hush Little Baby

But mainly songs that we have danced to throughout his life...

Beatles - Loves all but Blackbird seems to do the trick

Most all Jenny Lewis songs - Rabbit Fur Coat album is the hit

The Watson Twins - Jenny Lewis' back up singers - beautiful harmony

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots...  all of the album excluding the fight scene 

Hey Mama Rock Me - Old Dylan cover done by Old Crow Medicine Show...  I know,  but he really loves it!

Looking forward to seeing more suggestions!

[goldenwillow]

Originally Posted by mrsjerrygarcia 

I sing Puff the Magic dragon and Morningtown Ride because those are what my dad sang to me when I was little. Also, You are my sunshine, Only Exception by Paramore (my son LOVES it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YP7GCXqdqU

Love it.

Your screen name is fantastic! 

[HidaShara]

We sing a lot of Hush Little Baby here too, as well as Goodnight, Irene (the version Raffi has on his album, which is mostly about animals and where they sleep).

I also know and sing a lot of old ballads.  I sing When I Was On Horseback, Cruel Sister, Jack Orion and more.  Anything long, repetitive, slow and droning.  There's a fair amount of blood and whatnot in them, though, and as she gets older I find DD is starting to use words like "slain" and "sixpence", but it's an education, of sorts. :/

[callahansmama]

That's funny, I started humming Silent Night to my son at Christmas and I stopped at some point, can't quite remember but I haven't found anything that felt as nice as that. I love the song House at Pooh Corner but I need to learn the words! lol

[goldenwillow]

Originally Posted by callahansmama 

That's funny, I started humming Silent Night to my son at Christmas and I stopped at some point, can't quite remember but I haven't found anything that felt as nice as that. I love the song House at Pooh Corner but I need to learn the words! lol

Ohhh good one... Silent Night. Digg it.  Thank you for the suggestion.