By Sharla Kostelyk
(This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure policy.)
When I wrote a list of connection activities for parents to do with their kids, a lot of my readers were fascinated by the idea of choosing a special song to dedicate to your child. They asked questions about it and were especially looking for song suggestions. Choosing a song for each of my kids is something that I’ve done for as long as I can remember. I don’t recall how it started, but once I did it for one, I felt that I had to do it for the others.
“Mommy, can you please sing me my baby song?” My kids call their special songs their “baby song”. For some of them, it is a song that I would sing them when I rocked them to sleep when they were babies. For our kids that we adopted at older ages, there wasn’t an opportunity to rock them to sleep with their song, but that hasn’t stopped me from rocking them and singing their special song to them.
Most of my kids are too big to be rocked now (all but one are taller than I am!), but they still love their “baby songs”. They still sometimes ask me to sing their songs to them when they are sick or upset. They melt when they hear them. Even my teens get all mushy when their “baby song” comes on in the vehicle or when I sing their song to them.
Choosing a special song to dedicate to your child is something I would really encourage you to do. It helps them to feel cherished and loved. It increases your bond. This parenting tool gives you another thing that is shared just between the two of you, which increases emotional intimacy. It creates an anchor for your child also even once they are grown and have moved out of your home.
As an added bonus, when you have a special song for your child, you can also use it to make a memorable video montage using photos of your child growing up as a gift for their graduation, wedding day or milestone birthday.
The key to choosing a song to dedicate to your child is that it is personal. It can be based on who they are now or on what you hope they become or even as an encouragement or life motto that you wish to impart them with. If you can’t find a song with lyrics that you feel fit your child, write them a song. For our youngest daughter, I couldn’t find just the right song, so I invented one. It’s not very beautiful and I’m tone deaf, so I don’t sing it well, but she absolutely loves it and that’s all that counts. So if you can’t find a song to dedicate to your child, write one yourself.
Suggestions for Special Songs to Dedicate to Your Child:
- A New Day has Come by Celine Dion
- Amazing by Janelle
- Anyway by Martina McBride
- Baby Mine by Alison Krauss
- Beautiful Boy by John Lennon (there is also a Celine Dion version)
- The Best Part of Me by Lee Price
- Blessed by Elton John
- Ablaze by Alanis Morissette
- Blue by Beyonce
- Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle
- Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman
- The Climb by Miley Cyrus
- Dance with my Daughter by Jason Blaine
- Find Your Wings by Brent Miller
- Gracie by Ben Folds
- How You Live (Turn Up the Music) by Point of Grace
- Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw
- I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
- I See the Light by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi
- I Will Love You by Fisher
- I Won’t Let Go by Rascal Flatts
- In My Daughter’s Eyes by Martina McBride
- Lullaby by The Dixie Chicks
- Lullabye (Goodnight my Angel) by Billy Joel
- A Mother’s Prayer (Hannah’s Song) by Rachel Aldous
- Mother to Child by Rosita Stone
- My Little Girl by Tim McGraw
- My Wish by Rascal Flatts
- Naleigh Moon by Josh Kelley (international adoption)
- The One Thing by Shakira
- The One Who Knows by Dar Williams
- Priceless by King & Country
- Red Robin by Clark Richard
- Slow Down by Nichole Nordeman
- So Far to Find You by Casting Crowns (international adoption)
- Speechless by Alicia Keys
- Stand by Rascal Flatts
- This Angel by Jennifer Nettles
- Try Everything (from Zootopia) by Shakira
- What I Never Knew I Always Wanted by Carrie Underwood
- When I Pray for You by Dan + Shay
- When Love Takes You In by Steven Curtis Chapman (older child adoption specific)
- Who I Am by Jessica Andrews
- You Are My Baby by Kimya Dawson
- You’re Gonna Be by Reba McEntire
Looking for more ideas to connect with your child? Join our free 5 Days to Better Family Connection email series.
You might also be interested in reading these articles about parenting:
Connection Activities for Parents and Kids
Easy Traditions to Build Family Connection
