Boy meets Girl, Boy falls in love with Girl. Option A: Girl leaves Boy heartbroken or Option B: They find everlasting love. It’s fair to say that a good amount of songs have a similar storyline, with either option as the outcome. What I’ve discovered, though, is that so many popular songs can actually have rich meaning for parents too. Just sub out your child for a lover and you’ll see what I mean. Try it. I guarantee you’ll never listen to these songs the same way again.
Hard To Say I’m Sorry, Chicago
This song popped into my head on a Sunday afternoon when I broke up the umpteenth fight that day between two of my kids. The opening lines tell the whole story: Everybody needs a little time away… from each other. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem to help when I burst into the song outside their bedrooms while they sat sulking alone, but it sure made a lot of sense to me, especially about how “hard it is to say I’m sorry.” See what I’m saying?
2. I Can’t Get No Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
Oh, you wanted the blue cup, and not the green cup? The pink straw instead of the yellow one? You wanted a low pony instead of a high pony? You wanted Multigrain Cheerios instead of Honey Nut? Exactly.
3. Every Breath You Take, The Police
This song is an homage to helicopter parents everywhere. For the parents who go into their children’s rooms at night just to make sure they’re breathing. (What, no one else does that?) For the parents who need to know where their child is at every second of every hour, this song’s for you. Every breath you take/ Every move you make/ Every bond you break/ Every step you take/ I’ll be watching you
4. Bruises, Train
The song is really about the trials of life, and how those same trials make us more real and more relatable to others. But it’s also what I tell my kids when they’re screaming like a banshee in the hospital waiting room after that nasty fall from the monkey bars. At least it makes for a good story, right? These bruises make for better conversation/ Loses the vibe that separates
5. Since You’ve Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
You know that feeling those first few minutes when you close the door after your kids go to school for the first time after a long summer? Kelly Clarkson, you get me.
6. It’s Gonna Be Me, N’ Sync
You know the toddler that you can never make happy? Or the 12-year old who insists you’re ruining his life? Every little thing I do/Never seems enough for you. One day, they’re going to wake up and realize that they do love their mother after all. When you finally/ Get to love somebody/ Guess what/ It’s gonna be me!!
7. What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye
What I sing when I walk into my boys’ room and my older one has my younger one in a headlock because he broke his favorite Lego creation. We don’t need to escalate/ You see, war is not the answer/ For only love can conquer hate/ You know we’ve got to find a way/ To bring some lovin’ here today, oh oh oh
Again, my children are not amused when I burst out into song, but I do it anyway, because I can.
8. Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley (written by Leonard Cohen)
Ok, I really couldn’t find a connection to parenting with this one, but I added it to this list because it’s my favorite song to sing to myself when I need a Mommy time-out. And don’t we all need one of those?
9. Everything I Do, I Do It For You, Bryan Adams
Why can’t they see that I do everything I can for them?? When will they understand my personal sacrifice??? ‘Nuff said.
10. It Won’t Be Like This For Long, Darius Rucker
Ok, this one on the list is actually about parenting. Rucker sings about those moments raising your children that make you crazy (let’s face it, there’s a lot of them), but reminds himself and his wife: This phase is going to fly by so baby/Just hold on/It won’t be like this for long
Just remember, you’ll blink and they’ll be grown. So take a deep breath, and enjoy the ride.
Got more songs that relate to parenting? Share on my FB page or in the comments below!