My son has never liked me singing to him and to be honest I can’t blame him. I can’t sing.

However, recently he has started asking me to sing him to sleep. This would be okay normally except that he rather particular about the type of song and the exact level I have to sing it. This is what happened.

After being asked to sing him  to sleep I attempted my repertoire of songs that I know some of the words to. I tried ‘Row Your Boat’ and was told no. I tried a whole host of nursery rhymes that you can sing to and was told no. I tried ‘Dingle, Dangle Scarecrow’ and was told no.

Then, out of desperation for a song that I knew any words to (and because I was feeling a bit exasperated and a little bit naughty) I started to sing ‘Tainted Love’ by Soft Cell. This is one of my all time favourite songs and I do know almost all of the words. All of a sudden my son looked at me, big grin and said, “that’s my favourite”. Yippee, my manic playing of 80’s music around the house had paid off.

Slight hitch though, I hadn’t got the right sound in my voice!! I was then given a couple of minutes tuition by my child as to what level I should sing, and he made me copy his voice. Three attempts later, I was allowed to continue with my singing. Thankfully, he soon got fed up and started to fall asleep.

But it didn’t end there, a couple of nights later he asked me to sing ‘Tainted Love’ again, but this time when I started singing he kept interrupting me to ask me to explain why the person in the song wanted to run away!! Please bear in mind that my son is only 4, so it was hard to explain that love can sometimes break your heart and you need to get away, but I managed.

I then had to change song, but now we have some additions to the portfolio - ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ (safe) and wait for it . . . ‘Sweet Dreams Are Made of This’ by the Eurythmics!!

Oh for the days when a story was all that was wanted.