Memory

When children are little I am a great believer in the same things over and over again, especially at bedtime.  Bedtime has always followed the same routine, right from the first night we brought him home.  Bath, cuddle, story, songs, then sleep.  When he was a new born we carefully bathed him, gave him a bottle while DH read a story (yes, right from the first night), then I sang until he was ready for bed.  It has evolved so it includes time for bear to have a play with DH and the story is now a slightly more challenging read than the Gruffalo, but I keep the same five songs I have used for years.  I believe that the repetitive routine winds bear down for sleep.

When bear was about four or five he asked for a change of songs.  By then I had settled down into a few songs only, as when he was newborn I sang to him for hours.  So now he has a 'playlist' which is the cue for him to settle down and read himself to sleep.

Last night I decided to go back to some of the songs I used to sing years ago.  Bear was intrigued.  He couldn't remember the songs I sang when he was a tiny and I was getting him to sleep in the small hours.  However they were familiar to him, he almost knew them.  They were just on the tip of his tongue, like ghost memories.  They also seemed to comfort him.  He went out like a light.

One of bear's favourites - sung better than I can!