For not really being “singers”—and for most of us not really knowing that much about music—we are a pretty “sing-ee” family! We love to sing hymns and worship songs while we’re driving or sitting around the living room. If one of our pianists is here (Kara and Cami), it’s even better! At Christmas time, we really getting into the singing spirit! We love to memorize a complete carol (all the verse) and sing it together; we love to drive around looking at lights and have someone lead out when a certain decoration or sight reminds him of a carol; we love to “sing through the Christmas story.”

Several years ago as we were sitting around singing carols, we challenged the kids to sing a song about a certain part of the nativity story (one part at a time). Before we knew it, we had compiled an entire “cantata” (roflol!) singing through the Christmas story. Cami quickly found the words to all of the carols and made a colorful song sheet on the computer for everybody—and we have since enjoyed “singing through the Christmas story” quite often.

Below are the songs that we sing in the order that we sing them, along with links to the words to each one. Obviously, there are others that would also fit, but these are the ones we discovered and have enjoyed singing. Happy caroling!

1. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#olittletown

2. “The First Noel” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#firstnoel

3. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#hark

4. “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#itcameupon

5. “Silent Night” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#silentnight

6. “O Come, All Ye Faithful” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#ocomeallye

7. “Away in a Manger” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#awayinamanger

8. “O Holy Night” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#oholynight

9. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#wethreekings

10. “Joy to the World” https://www.allthingschristmas.com/music/lyrics.html#joy

The post Singing Through The Christmas Story appeared first on Character Ink.

When You “Cue” Your Kids for Talk Time—Our Talking Song

“Talk to me; show me that you care. Talk to me; listen to the words I say. Talk to me; there’s so much we can share. I know you love me when you talk to me.”

I can still sing it from memory. And so can my kids. It was our talk song. And now I am crying.

Years ago we used to listen to a “cassette” that had this catchy, heart-warming song on it about talking. The chorus was that “talk to me” line above. I wish you could hear it being sung as it is so sweet.

Like a lot of things that we heard, read, or watched together as a family, it became part of us. And we used it…over and over and over again. And never tired of.

Kid seemed out of sorts when we tucked them in, we sang it: “Talk to me; show me that you care. Talk to me; listen to the words I say. Talk to me; there’s so much we can share. I know you love me when you talk to me.”

Silence in the car with one child, we sang it: “Talk to me; show me that you care. Talk to me; listen to the words I say. Talk to me; there’s so much we can share. I know you love me when you talk to me.”

While we sang it to the child to get them talking, the last line was really about us talking to them—they knew we loved them because we talked to them….and this song reminded them of that.

It reminded them that they can tell us what they are thinking because they know we love them because we DO talk to them.

It reminded them that we are a talking family with parents who listen.

It reminded them of the last time we sang it and talked—and that it felt good to do so.

Cues. Reminders. Talk tools. Heart prodders.

These things—whether they are rhymes, jingles, movie lines, song lyrics, or jokes—they become part of our family and can lead to great talks.

Here are a few more to get you started, but use whatever is part of YOUR family to cue your children to talk!

(1) A penny for your thoughts….

(2) DETAILS!

(3) Silence is not golden!!

(4) What’s going on in there? (See Asking Questions)

(5) ‘Fess up!

6) What ya thinkin’?

(7) Hey, it’s just the two of us….let’s talk about ______ (See Keep Kids Close Coupons)

8) What do you think of ________________

What are your family’s “talk tools” or talking cues? When and how do you use them?

Links:

52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids: When You “Sit” In Your House

52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids: Drive Time

52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids: When You Just Need to Listen

Four Things Teens and Young Adults Need

[Podcast] Keeping Close During Intense Training Times

[Podcast] Ways to Spend More Time With Your Kids

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

The post 52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids: Our Talking Song appeared first on Character Ink.

We are the most balanced baby people I know! No extremes here of nursing a child on demand until age three —or of putting a baby on a four hour eating schedule while he’s still in the hospital at two days old! Somewhere between those extremes is an amazing way to parent babies and toddlers in which everybody (baby, parents, and siblings) enjoy each other and fall into a comfortable family rhythm that does not over-emphasize one child’s “wants” over another. And one in which wants and needs are differentiated and met as is appropriate. This is certainly not an article about baby and toddler training (check out our blog for more on that!); however, our parenting of our babies really did have something to do with the deep, communicative relationships that we developed with our children.

Talk about everything while you are going through your regular routines!

There is a lot of “talk” these days about talking to your baby in utero. We talked to our babies in the womb—sang to them, read to them, etc.—though not nearly as much as we did once they were born!

Yes, we talked to our babies! We sang to them, talked to them, rocked them and walked them as newborns. But we increased this even more once the baby became four to six months old.

When we got our babies and toddlers up in the morning, we spent even more time with them. I would get our babies and toddlers up, rock them, read to them, sing to them, walk around their rooms and read their posters and plaques to them, etc.

Rockies and Reading

Before their naps, we would have “rockies and reading” time in which I rocked the baby, sang Scripture songs, and read a little. (This was actually the pre-cursor to when the toddler became mature enough to join the preschoolers for story time—sort of a rite of passage that would happen as this time in Mama’s chair increased, and the little one could sit long enough for afternoon story time (one to two hours!).

We began talking baby talk early! Talking to babies and toddlers via books, songs, rhymes, etc., then eventually discussing these things, was the beginning of communicating with our kids. So….go for the baby talk! Start communicating early with your kids.

The post 52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids—Baby Talk appeared first on Character Ink.

Yesterday I described how I enjoy daily or many-entried books with my teen boys (and actually, all throughout my parenting!). I mentioned a book yesterday that has a theme that I would like to elaborate on today: hymns.

We are not musicians/singers here. We have a couple who know a little about singing and can sing pretty well. We have two piano players, one drummer, and two dancers (Mom and Dad!). However, we are not what one would call a musical family.

However, to enjoy singing and worshiping God, we have found that being a musician or singer is not necessary! In addition to singing and listening to music most days, we have also enjoyed studying about songs and songwriters.

We are currently doing a book that I love called “101 Hymn Histories.” This books has 101 hymns (music and words included for each one!) and a one-age excerpt about each one—its author, its history, etc.

For example, did you know that one major thing that Martin Luther’s theses and the following reformation did was bring congregational singing out? Prior to that, the people themselves did not sing much. And did you know that his “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” was the beginning of this? Do you know how powerful and moving the words to that song are? We do…we just read it today! 

I will put links below to some “song books” that we have used. Happy singing!

*”101 Hymn Stories”– https://www.christianbook.com/101-hymn-stories-kenneth-osbeck/9780825434167/pd/34165

*”101 More Hymn Stories”– https://www.christianbook.com/101-more-hymn-stories/kenneth-osbeck/9780825434204/pd/34203?event=CF

*Then Sings My Soul” (our son, Jonathan’s favorite right now)– https://www.christianbook.com/then-sings-my-soul-volumes-1/robert-morgan/pd/5168 (two volumes listed there)

*”Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas”—we read from this one every Christmas!– https://search.barnesandnoble.com/Stories-behind-the-Best-Loved-Songs-of-Christmas/Ace-Collins/e/9780310239260/

*”My First Hymnal: 75 Favorite Bible Songs”—the one I used to do everyday with my toddlers– https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T044UI/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0634056727&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1DXSNXV0QHW25YZ2P3EH

The post When You Rise Up”: Faith in the Mornings –Hymn Studies appeared first on Character Ink.