Sing a Lullaby

© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care. All rights reserved.

Lullabies are a wonderful way to help soothe an upset baby, put a fidgety baby to sleep, or set a calm tone in your setting.

When using lullabies to soothe or settle babies, you will want to keep the following suggestions in mind.

• Adust your speed as you sway and the volume as you sing to help a baby calm or fall asleep.
• Comfort a baby with your singing and swaying to give her a feeling of attachment, stimulate language development, and help her learn to soothe herself.

Familiar language and music from a baby’s home culture can be especially soothing to a baby who is tired or upset. Incorporate songs from a home culture to help promote a strong connection between home and the caregiving setting.

• Ask family members to teach you baby’s favorite lullaby or to make a CD that you can use in your setting.
• Visit a library to find CDs or stream music through your computer to find and learn a lullaby in each baby’s home language.
• Hum a familiar, soothing tune if you don’t know a lullaby in a baby’s home language.
• Use a few words or phrases from a baby’s home language in a lullaby you know.

It can be difficult to learn a new song. Try listening to it through headphones and singing along as you learn the words and melody. Don’t worry if you have to make up words or a tune—babies will not even notice. It is the soft, soothing tone of your voice, the calm swaying, and the close contact that they respond to as they nod off to sleep.