For This House
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
It started a few months ago when my 3-year-old asked me what some lyrics meant while one of my favorite playlists was on the speakers in our house.
That happened a couple more times with really innocent phrases or words he didn’t know, but when the questions started bringing up topics I was not ready to discuss with a three-year-old, I knew it was time to change my listening habits.
The trouble is, most of the music marketed to kids is not the most desirable all-day listening genre… please tell me I’m not alone here. 😅
We love music in our house. It’s something my husband and I have bonded over through the years, and we’ve evolved through various genres in that time, too.
Kids’ music is still something we’re warming up to, but we both agree on how valuable it is for little minds. It’s like a golden ticket to unlocking their developing brains.
When kids engage with music (listening, playing, or moving along), they work their neural pathways in a way that stories and TV will never quite match up to. Some of those benefits include:
So you can see how formative music is to their development (there are more great details in this article by Kid&Co). Those silly songs you sing along to at library story time aren’t just to pass the time, they have their own unique value for your little one.
Finding some easy-listening music to play for my kids during the day that didn’t also make my ears bleed—or at least not induce further anxiety—was a bit of a challenge for me at the start. I didn’t want to compromise the musical craftsmanship for the child-centered themes and storytelling.
Enter… Ellie Holcomb. If you haven’t heard her music yet, please check her out. She has put in the work to create great quality music for the whole family but with lyrics specifically written for little ears. She even has children’s books on some of her songs. I’m more than happy to give her a shout-out as an amazing artist!
We also enjoy Rain for Roots, Shane & Shane, Listener Kids, and others. Listen in on our All-Day Family Faves playlist below, or copy it to get started on creating your own family playlist.
But how, as moms, can we empower and instill the value of music in our kids without compromising our personal musical taste all week in our homes?
Admittedly, I did have to resign some of my favorite tunes, but I’ve found some amazing new artists on my quest for better lyrics that still fit my preferred genres. My new go-to playlist is about the feel-good vibes as much as about the lyrics. I wanted this list to be a curation I can put on in nearly any mood and feel uplifted, calm, and centered.
Go ahead and steal my playlist to get started. It takes time to start from scratch with your own musical and lyrical research.
Since I’ve switched most of my listening hours to these two playlists, or similar ones, I notice that the undertone of my day has changed.
Where I used to be numbly going about my task list for the day, I’m now more inspired to do it “as working for the Lord and not for man.” (Col. 3:23)
I’m able to show love through patience (1 Cor. 13:4) in ways I could never do on my own without His work in my heart and mind.
And most importantly, I keep finding new parts of my day to walk humbly with Him, where before I had not brought God into (Micah 6:8).
I pray that this call to musical intentionality in your home can be a resource for resetting the undertone of your family, too.
God,
Guide our hearts and ears to music that reflects Your love and truth, helping us create a home filled with melodies that honor You.
Give us the wisdom to choose songs that nurture our children’s spirits and draw us closer to Your heart.
Teach us to listen deeply, not just with our ears, but with spirits open to Your transformative grace.
May the music we share become a pathway of worship that connects our family more intimately with You and each other.
Amen.
Lauren is a founder of For This House. She is learning and growing every day to live authentically for Christ in all things. Lauren lives in British Columbia with her family of boys. She enjoys nature walks, quality time with family or friends, and exploring new places. Learn more about Lauren.