My life is filled with singing. I was gifted with a natural ability to pick and up and carry a tune, but I consider myself to be in the “karaoke” category of singers rather than the “American Idol Top 10” category. But really, that is besides the point. My musical upbringing probably has something to do with my love for singing, and it certainly helps to be married to the lead singer of a band and have a father-in-law who is a voice teacher.

During the last four years of being a mom, I have found an interesting use for singing beyond it being absolutely fun. The sound of my voice is calming during obvious times (nap and bedtime), but I have found that singing actually helps with day to day necessities and teaching skills as well. Who would have thought that a made up song would assist in the bedtime of a crabby two year old or provide the necessary distraction to avoid a meltdown?

If you hung out with me for a day, you’d most likely hear lovely musical renditions of “clean up your toys, clean up your toys, all of the dollies and horses too” and “brushing your teeth, brushing off the carrots, and the cheese stick, and the peanut butter sandwich” and “I share with you, you share with me, it is so nice to share!”

If I had more than five minutes to sit down during the average day, I’d probably have a YouTube link here with a video of me singing. Something to aspire to…

*a version of this entry can be viewed at mamalode.com