Five beautiful lullabies you probably don’t know…but you should

If you’re tired of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, check out these 5 beautiful songs that will send your little ones off to sleep with wonderful dreams.

Bedtime is one of my favorite times of day. Yes, partly because I know I’m finally about to have a little time to myself, but also because it’s when my crazy wild boys finally slow down, snuggle close to me, and let me sing my favorite lullabies to them.

I’ve always sung to my babies, as most parents do. I remember snuggling Little Man in the darkness of our tiny, quiet apartment a few nights after bringing him home from the hospital. I sang softly to him, smiling at his warm little body and his deep breathing as I worked my way through the lullabies I remembered from my childhood. Singing my baby to sleep seemed almost like a rite of passage, and in that moment, I really felt like a mom.

But, as much as I love singing to my babies, after the 500th time of “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star,” I needed some new material. Many of the classics are still some of my favorites to sing, but it’s nice to add some variety to my lullaby repertoire.

In case you’ve ever found yourself in a similar position, here are five of my favorite lullabies to sing my boys that you may or may not have ever heard before.

I’ll Take You Dreaming from The Court Jester

I was kind of in love with Danny Kaye as a little girl. In fact, I used to pretend that I was married to him when my best friend and I played make-believe.  Most people know him from White Christmas, but my favorite is actually The Court Jester. If you haven’t ever seen it, go watch it! It’s ridiculous, but I love it. I had actually kind of forgotten that this song was in the movie until a few years ago, but my brother was singing it to his kids, and I had to immediately go home and look up the lyrics. It’s been a regular in our lullaby rotation ever since.

I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon from Sesame Street

Back in the day when people actually used to go to the store to rent videos, I often would ask to bring home this random Sesame Street VHS with music videos from the show. I remember watching this one over and over, and now Little Man loves me to sing it to him. There’s something about the idea of adventures to distant places that is perfect for sending my boys off to dreamland.

Return to Pooh Corner by Kenny Loggins

Growing up, my brother’s room was across the hall from mine, and I have fond memories of falling asleep to the sound of him playing his guitar. This is a song I first heard on his guitar, and I’ve loved it ever since…even if it makes me want to cry sometimes because it makes me think about how quickly childhood slips away. Stay little, my boys.

Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep from White Christmas

I just love the simple message of this song about being grateful for the simple things in life…the many little joys, you could say. Besides, I like to imagine I sound as good as Bing Crosby when I sing it.

You Can Close Your Eyes by James Taylor

A lot of people, myself included, know and love James Taylor’s song “Sweet Baby James.” We have a whole Pandora station inspired by James Taylor at our house, after all, but I was only recently introduced to his song “You Can Close Your Eyes.” Maybe I’m just late to the party, but if you haven’t heard it either, give it a listen.

So, there’s my list. I hope you find something new to try with your kiddos. Sweet dreams!

What are YOUR favorite lullabies, uncommon or otherwise?

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