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.
Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? A brief history of a long tradition
One of the earliest mentions of New Year's resolutions appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1813. But the practice itself can be traced back to the Babylonians.
A little boy gave her hope for her foster daughter’s future
At a neighborhood park, a young boy noticed Natalie's young foster daughter using a walker. His reaction left Natalie with an unexpected feeling of hope for the future.
In one year, Trump pivots fentanyl response from public health to drug war
Experts say Biden's focus on addiction health care saved tens of thousands of lives and slowed fentanyl smuggling. Trump scrapped Biden's approach in favor of military strikes.
Judge orders new trial for Alabama woman sentenced to 18 years in prison after stillbirth
Lee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Tickal vacated Brooke Shoemaker’s 2020 conviction for chemical endangerment of a child resulting in death. Tickal said Shoemaker's attorneys presented credible new evidence that the infection caused the stillbirth.
Remembering the actors, musicians, writers and artists we lost in 2025
Every year, we remember some of the writers, actors, musicians, filmmakers and performers who died over the past year, and whose lifetime of creative work helped shape our world.
National Guard arrives in New Orleans for 1st New Year’s since Bourbon Street attack
Nearly a year after a New Year's Day truck attack on Bourbon Street left 14 dead, New Orleans officials are still seeking permanent security solutions.
