Do you sing to your baby? NPR wants to know what songs you sing
Singing to babies comes naturally for many parents.
And now, a new study from Yale University finds that singing to babies lifts their moods and improves their overall well-being.
“Infants who are being sung to a lot are happier in general throughout the day, not just when singing is happening,” said Samuel Mehr, an associate professor adjunct at the Yale University Child Study Center and one of the authors of the study.
He and his team looked at 110 parents and their babies, most of them under fourth months old.
“We send very, very quick surveys to parents by text message, and we do that at random intervals each day. And the surveys are really, really quick and easy to answer accurately,” said Mehr. “There are things like in the last two or 3 hours, did your baby cry? You know, in the last 2 to 3 hours, how happy was your baby?”
The parents were divided into two groups. One was asked to sing more to their babies, with some extra support and resources, while the other continued their daily routines as usual.
Mehr says that you don’t have to limit the songs you sing to classic lullabies like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
“If you want to sing, you know, Led Zeppelin, that’s also fine,” said Mehr. “Anything that gives your baby a chance to hear your voice, I think, is all good.”
We want to hear what songs you sing to your babies. What helps calm them when they’re fussy or puts a smile on their face? And don’t be shy… upload a recording of you singing to your babies! Please submit your responses by Thursday, June 5 at 4pm ET.
Your submission could be heard on Morning Edition very soon.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
Breaking down Alabama’s CHOOSE Act
It’s been a year since Alabama legislators passed the CHOOSE Act allowing families to apply for state funds to use towards homeschool expenses and tuition for participating private schools. The Alabama Daily News’ education reporter Trisha Powell Crain has been diving into how the funds are being used. WBHM’s Andrew Gelderman sat down with her to talk about what we’re seeing so far.
