Its amazing how strong certain childhood memories can be, and how they can vividly endure throughout a lifetime. As parents and grandparents then, we should attempt to create as many magical memories as possible for our children, grandchildren, and in fact, all children we come in contact with.

My mother gave me the greatest bedtime gift I could have asked for: her undivided attention, her precious and beautiful voice, and her overwhelming love. She turned bedtime into a positively anticipated event by weaving a spell over me with words and song. Singing and reading to your child not only stimulates their imagination, but also creates neural pathways in the brain, which determine learning capacities for the entire life of the child into adulthood.

Music has been proven to improve spatial reasoning, or how we perceive our visual world. Spatial reasoning helps children in the areas of math, engineering and the sciences. But beyond laying the groundwork for a healthy intellect, reading and singing to your child give parent and child the opportunity to share loving moments together that are exclusively theirs. Holding, rocking, massaging and hugging your baby while singing to him/her creates an incredibly loving bond.

I like to think of lullabies as love made audible. Even if youre self-conscious about your singing voice, remember that your baby thinks its the most beautiful sound in the world! Your voice is familiar and soothing. To me, my mothers voice was like an Angels. She enchanted me with her singing, and her lullabies made me feel safe, secure and cherished, as yours will.

In this age of technology its easy to overdo it on educational toys and gadgets. Yes, toys are great. They stimulate the babys brain and imagination, and teach him how to make sense of his world. But dont overlook the simple and pure magic of a story or lullaby delivered with undivided, loving attention. Those moments and melodies will remain engraved in the heart and mind of your child forever. A lullaby, what a profound and simple gift!