Lea recently shared with us her discovery of how her own voice affects her child's behavior. She's back with LwL, helping us learn a tried-and-true technique for successfully helping your kids fall peacefully sleep. Thank you, Lea, for sharing your song with us! * * * * * "The Quiet Song" So I promised in my last guest blog to introduce you to The Quiet Song. And as I used it again last night to lull my especially-hyper-tonight Little Man to sleep, I was reminded why I want to share this with every parent I meet. Every time I use this technique I am in awe of the power of progressive relaxation. So here goes. Let's quickly review the 3 S's of successful lullabies: Sing Slowly, Sing Softly, and Sing Simply. Sing Slowly: Slowly. I mean slllllooooooowwwwwwly. Draw out your syllables and take breaths between every couple of words. Sing Softly: Sing quietly, and also sing in a deeper voice - by the end of the tune you could be singing in a breathess whisper. Your tone sets the mood! Sing Simply: Keep the words simple. I'll add one more "S" for this entry : Setting Setting: This is usually a bedtime song for us, so LM is in his bed. We've hung a string of white christmas lights in his room - the lighting is soft and soothing, and we have a heavy quilt that is folded and gives him deep pressure. The Quiet Song (A progressive relaxation lullabye) Loosely based on the tune of Ten Little Indians Sung slllooooooooowly .... Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Head, Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Head, Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Head, Take a Deep Deep Breath Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Eyes, Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Eyes, Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Eyes, Take a Deep Deep Breath Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Mouth, Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Mouth, Quiet, Quiet, Quiet Mouth, Take a Deep Deep Breath Continue ... Quiet Shoulders, Quiet Arms, Quiet Hands, Quiet Back, Quiet Belly, Quiet Legs, Quiet Knees, Quiet Feet, Quiet ____ (child's name) Directions: Relax. Most importantly, you the parent, relax. This is a long song - purposely! Remember your three S's. If your child tolerates being touched gently place the weight of your hand on the body part being mentioned. Start with your hand on the crown of the head, move to the forehead/eyebrows, the jawbone, give a gentle squeeze to the shoulder, hold his hand, rest your hand on his belly, etc. When you sing "take a deep deep breath" you pause and take a deep breath too. You are encouraging deep breaths by slowing your own breathing rate down. You may have a fidgety child for several verses - dont get frustrated, keep an even tone and keep singing. You can repeat a verse or go through the whole song again. Remember that this is essentially a training exercise. You are teaching your child to be aware of each part of their body and giving them control of their breathing and relaxation. Don't get discouraged if the first night is a bust - at the very least you've done some calming breathing yourself. I strongly strongly urge you to try this and keep at it. It's an incredible gift you can give your child ... the gift of relaxation and peace. Quietly Yours, Lea
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1 comment:
Thanks for sharing this! We have several songs we sing each night to my youngest, which we've been singing since he was very little. I'm definitely ready for new material! (And I bet he is too!)
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