My Mom used to sing these songs to me when I was a little kid. Most of the time she would sing them to me at bedtime. I think it is so important to either read to children or sing songs with them at bedtime. Whenever we babysit our nieces and nephews, Karma and I will read to them at bedtime. If we ever have any of our own children, I will make it a point to read and sing to them. The songs that my Mom used to sing to me go something like this:
“Sing….Sing a song….Sing out Loud…Make it simple…. to last your whole life long….don’t worry if it’s not good enough….for anyone else to hear….just sing….sing a song.”
I loved this song because it has always made me feel like I could do anything and that I should never be afraid to express myself.
Some other songs she used to sing to me were what we called “The Fishy Song” and the “Pufferbelly” song.
"Over in the meadow in a little bitty pool, swims three little fishies and a momma fishy too. Swim said the momma, swim if you can, and they swam and they swam right over the dam. Boop Boop bittum and a bottom shoe, Boop Boop bittum and a bottom shoe, and they swam and they swam right over the dam. Yeah!"
"Over at the station, early in the morning, see the little pufferbellies all in a row. See the stationmaster pull the little handle. Puff, Puff, toot, toot, off they go. Puff, Puff, toot, toot, off they go."
More than anything, these songs remind me that I am loved and that I have been very lucky. They also remind me of the power of song and that we should sing to each other more often.
~Tad Jones