• Are you tired of hearing the Frozen soundtrack for the millionth time? Tired of singing Wheels on the Bus? Me too! The first few years of kid’s music were tolerable. But not anymore, I can’t take it and I really miss my adult music. I realized I made a huge mistake by introducing my children to “kid’s songs”. They were blank canvases, or rather, empty playlists, their ears waiting to be trained for music appreciation. Or at least, music I appreciate listening to.

    Beginning this past summer, I have slowly been taking back my playlist. I have deleted all songs by the Wiggles, any music that has a higher-than-normal-pitched singer singing about some animal, and songs that are just plain stupid. I have started listening to the radio to be introduced to new artists. My kids know the lyrics to “Riptides” by Joy Vance. And so do I. We agree on a song. Yeah!

    I am becoming a discerning kid’s music critic. Anything by Putumayo for kids remains in the music library. Foreign music is okay too. But anything by grown men wearing colored costumes while singing in abnormal registers (and I am not talking about falsettos here people), has got to go. I left the Frozen soundtrack on the playlist because it actually is musically sophisticated (enough). I just don’t want to hear it 500 times in a row. And Katy Perry’s “Roar” still remains because I have to compromise.

    Teach your children the basics of real music so they have something to which they could aspire if they want to pursue that field or just sing for fun. Here is an example of a playlist I have created with my children in mind. Songs for them, and for me.

    • Police “Message in a Bottle
    • Regina Spektor “Carbon Monoxide” (The chorus “Come On Daddy is especially popular)
    • Beatles “I want to Hold Your Hand”
    • Beatles “Lucy in the Sky” (the lyrics are whimsical, and they are too young to question the true meaning of this song) Bow Wow Wow “I Want Candy” ( Again, they are too young to know the euphemism)

    Add your favorites and take back the music!