Awhile back, Christina blogged about Christian music for kids. For those of us who grew up with Psalty the Singing Psalmbook (we have several of those on LP thanks to Derek’s mom who saved them!) and the Creekbank Kids (was that just we Willetts?), there’s quite a bit of nostalgia about the “great” music we listened to as kids. But ask my mom about the Creekbank Kids, and she’ll probably still groan with frustration 15 years later because it was actually really obnoxious when you heard it 10 times a day (sorry!). And then there’s the whole question of what version the scripture songs are written in–how many other children of the 80’s memorized 1 John 4: 7-8 in KJV because of the song even though our families were NIV or NASB users? Derek and I want our kids to memorize in ESV, but most songs from the 90’s are still using NIV. And the annoyance factor…Tommy has several kid’s praise CDs that he loves but I find incredibly irritating. I’m so sick of “Jesus Loves You, Tommy” that I’ll only let him listen to it with headphones. But there are a few that we both enjoy: (Now, I’m aware that kid’s music is highly subjective–what one mom loves might drive another bananas. It’s all a matter of taste, so take my recommendations with a grain of salt!)
We received Teach Me Your Way as a gift from my Shepherdsfield friends. This album was recorded by a Christian community down in Texas, and their kids do most of the singing (with a little help from the couple that wrote the music). Pros: Kids say the Bible verses and references at the beginning of each song, there’s a great variety of styles (our favorite is “Truthful Lips Endure Forever” with a sortof Celtic feel), and I find the songs catchy but not annoyingly so. When they get stuck in my head, I’m singing scripture, so that’s good! Con: They use THREE different versions (NIV, NASB, and one or two KJV), so there’s not consistency, and I’d prefer for us to relearn them all in ESV at some point.
I bought Teach Me Your Way II after listening to the first one with Tommy in the car for a month or so. Tommy was telling me that “a lying tongue lasts only a moment” (from a song on the 1st CD), and I thought I should grasp the opportunity to get in some more opportunities for memorization while he was so into it! This one is equally singable and enjoyable. Tommy might even like it more. I haven’t actually checked out the versions on this one, but the selection of a couple of the texts is a bit befuddling. Sure, “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way,” but if you’re going to pick out 15 Bible verses to put to music for easy memorization, is that one that you would pick?
Another mom at church mentioned whowhatwhyhowwherewhen when our moms group discussed whether to/when to catechise our children. Derek and I haven’t really come to agreement on the issue–he would rather just have the kids learn key scriptures; I wish I had been catechised, and I’m probably influenced by the many Presbyterians among my mommy friends!=) Even if we don’t formally take our kids through the Westminster Catechism, it doesn’t hurt for them to learn some of it here! This album is just 20 questions of the children’s catechism set to music. It’s kindof Sovereign Grace rock in style, but very accessible for kids. Adults and kids (and a kid’s choir) sing the songs, and I enjoy singing along. We’ve only had it a week or so, but Tommy is already telling me that “God has no body as we do.”
We are always on the lookout for new kid’s music, as I’m sure I’ll get sick of these eventually. Anyone know of any CDs just of great hymns arranged with their traditional tunes, all verses included, sung in parts without the seemingly-obligatory drumset and synthesizer or hokey kid’s instrumentation? (Tommy can sing all three original verses of “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus”, so he gets confused when we listen to the Sovereign Grace “updated” version on Come, Weary Saints because they change the words and the tune!) Or any ESV set to music for kids?
We love the Praise Baby series. It has a great mixture of hymns, current worship music, and some of the oldies but goodies from the 90’s. I had it playing in the delivery room when I had Aidan, and he listens to it every day at bedtime and naptime.