VietNamNet Bridge – A baby cries and his mother rushes over to soothe him. She starts to hum a lullaby, his eyelids droop, then she pauses, how does that song go again?

Rockabye baby: A mother hums a lullaby to her child.

My own daughter recently gave birth to a son and she was shocked to find herself unable to summon up a tune to sing her baby to sleep. Her experience is shared by mother of one, 29-year-old Nguyen Thuy Linh, in Hoan Kiem District in Ha Noi, who says her lullaby repertoire consists of only one song: Con Co (The Stork).

“When was a girl, I knew a lot of lullabies. I would use them to sing my younger brother to sleep. It’s a pity I can’t remember them. They are really useful, especially for young babies.”

Another 8X mother Thu Hang says she recites pieces by famous Vietnamese poets To Huu and Tran Dang Khoa, but admits she doesn’t know any folk songs.

“We use a CD to send my child asleep. It worked at the beginning but it’s not so good now,” she says.

Researchers from the Tu Du Hospital in HCM City say children, even those still in the womb, respond well to songs, and there is evidence that exposing young children to music develops their intellect and musical talents. “It’s much better to calm a child down with music and singing, rather than shouting,” one expert says.

Lullabies also reinforce the parent-child bond, even the grandparent-child bond, and brings families closer together. This is why parents should sing lullabies to their children, says 68-year-old poet Nguyen Van Duong, a native of the midland province of Phu Tho.

“Lullabies are soothing for the soul,” he says. “I’ll never forget my mother’s lullabies, they will go with me to my grave. They are the inspiration for my writing, and my solace for living. Through my mother’s lullabies, I remember clumps of green bamboo, village gates, and fields at midday in the northern region.”

There is a treasure trove of traditional lullabies, many of which vary from region to region. Popular favourites include Me Yeu Con (Mum Loves You) by Nguyen Van Ty or Loi Ru Tren Nuong (Lullaby from the Hills) by Ho Thuan An and many others.

But what do the children themselves think? Nine-year old Hong Anh says she always asks her mother to sing to her before she goes to sleep. “My sister and I love mum’s lullabies because it means our mother loves us, and they help us fall asleep and have good dreams.”

Lullabies are popular in Viet Nam, but children all over the world love the sound of their mother’s voice. And even in this age of modern technology, there is no substitute.

(Source: Viet Nam News)