Bedtime Singing

When my first child was born, I always wanted to sing to him before he went to sleep. It was just one of those things I always felt like I should do as a mother. At first it seemed like he didn't care, but as he grew up, he started requesting me to sing to him. He also started requesting particular songs, which I found to be rather adorable. This made me feel so good, especially since I spent many long nights at work away from him. What makes me feel just as good now is the fact that even at almost 12 years old, he still asks me to sing to him before bed.

When DS#2 was born, I sang to him, too. I let both of them choose what song they wanted me to sing. When they started sleeping in the same room, they each picked a song and I always ended up singing one additional song to the both of them. Usually that song was Hush Little Baby, which continues to be a favorite even now. When DS#1 got his own room, I still sang three songs to each of them.

DD was different. Well, she was different in many ways, but our bedtime routine was just one more thing that was different. Many times she would say, "I don't want you to sing to me tonight." Sometimes she said this to me, sometimes to DH, and sometimes to both of us. We attributed these times to when she was more tired. At first I was crushed, but I got used to it. Recently, as she has become more affectionate in general, she always wants me to sing to her before bed, and it's always one song.

Lately, I've been thinking about how I balance my time with each of my kids. I started thinking about how I sing only one song to DD but three songs to each of the older boys. I didn't mean for this to be so uneven, but I wondered if I do it because I have less time with more kids. I just hate the thought of shorting any of them just because we chose to have more kids. I know that it could also be because DD started out not wanting me to sing to her, but either way, the Mommy Guilt is getting me once again.

Tonight I sang two songs to DD, and I'll sing that third song to her in the future if she wants me to. I also started singing to the baby occasionally to get him to sleep. I'm sure I'll see what songs he likes and how many before too long. :)