1st December 2008
Mothers are preferring to sing pop songs to their children in a bid to lull them to sleep,
according to a new study.
The poll of more than 2000 mothers also found that more than one in ten regard traditional songs such as Rock-A-Bye Baby as outdated.
Many can’t even remember the words to classics such as Hush Little
Baby and Lavender Blue, and believe modern lyrics are more likely to help their
baby nod off.
But Richard Jenkinson, of children’s music company Lullaby-Babies,
was critical of ‘inappropriate’ bedtime songs. ‘The lulling factor of traditional
lullabies cannot be rivalled,’ he said.
‘Lullabies are repetitive with a medium tempo and appropriate words so children benefit from their soothing effect.
‘Babies are more sensitive to pitch than adults and instruments like violins
can go right through them.
‘I wouldn’t be comfortable singing or playing something with lyrics like Katy Perry’s. ‘Babies might not understand the words at a young age but they can take in a lot.
‘Pop songs have such a short shelf-life, often with strange lyrics, so that when a child grows up he will wonder what on earth he listened to.
‘It would be a terrible shame for children to grow up without classic and beautiful songs to pass on to their own children.’
Where to next?
- Do you sing pop or lullaby to your baby? Share your views in Discuss, Debate and Deliberate
- Read other recent news stories
- For more stories, visit babyworld’s news archive
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