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Diaper Bag Songs

Experts at Music Together offer advice on instant ways to make your baby and toddler

January 13, 2017

The experts at Music Together, the pioneering, research-based early childhood music education program, have a valuable tip for parents looking for a quick and easy way to deal with fussy little ones: Sing!


Music Together has coined the phrase “diaper bag songs," simple familiar tunes that parents can add their own lyrics to and easily pull out and sing at any moment to redirect babies and toddlers, easing transitions and keeping the little ones happy.  


According to Susan Darrow, Music Together Director of Educational Services, “There are certain moments during the day that most parents find challenging and they often involve transitions. For example, maybe your child doesn’t want to get dressed, get in the car, or take a bath. Singing songs with your own words and narrating the action can often shift the tension and stress wrapped up in these moments in a way that language cannot. You will see the power of song the minute you sing, ‘Scrub, scrub, scrub your ears...’ instead of yelling ‘hold still!’  Music can have a magical effect.”


Here are some ideas from Music Together on how parents can change familiar songs to help their children get through the day:   

 

  1. Help ease the stress of bath time. Try singing a bath time version of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" with "Wash, wash, wash your hair,” “Splash, splash, splash around,” “Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, glub, glub, glub, glub, glub.”


  1. Help motivate your child to get dressed. Change the words to "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" to "Mary, Mary, where is your shoe? Here it is, and it's going right on you" or "Joey, Joey, here is your shirt! Lift up your arms so you can wear your shirt!"


  1. Help your family get out the door. Make up your own version of "Wheels on the Bus" about your car with "The walk to the car goes stomp, stomp, stomp..." and "The wheels on our car go 'round and 'round..." or "The buckle on the seat goes click, click, click..."


  1. Help motivate your child to eat the foods you want him to eat. Try your own version "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" with "Yummy, yummy, little peas, I like to eat my yummy peas" or "Yum, yum, yum, yum, carrots and beans; yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy, carrots and beans...."


  1. Help narrate your child's day. Music can help you prepare your child for what is coming up or summarize what happened during the day. Try changing the words to "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" to "We'll be gettin' in the car later on...", or "First we'll buy some groceries at the store...", or "Today we went to Shelly's house to play..." or "Then we did some swinging in the park..."


Celebrating its 25th Anniversary this academic year (2012-2013), Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children birth through age seven. The Music Together curriculum, coauthored in 1987 by Kenneth K. Guilmartin (Founder/Director) and Rowan University Professor of Music Education Dr. Lili M. Levinowitz (Director of Research), is based on the recognition that all children are musical: all children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning. Music Together offers programs for families; schools; at-risk populations; and children with special needs, in over 2000 communities in 40 countries around the world. The company is passionately committed to bringing children and their caregivers closer through shared music-making and helping people discover the joy—and educational value—of early music experiences.  More at www.musictogether.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MusicTogether.