While only seven, four, and two years old, my kids are obsessed with music. My 4-year-old can pick out a beat from a mile away. That kid is always moving to the music. The other two love it as well. Nothing can stop them from having an impromptu dance party in the kitchen after dinner or singing with all of their might in the car.
Being children of the 2010’s, they don’t have to worry about silly things like waiting for THEIR song to come on the radio. Mama is the DJ, and they can make requests all day long. This is where the playlist comes in. Mama doesn’t always have time to play DJ, but she can hit shuffle. My kids love playlists. We make them for holidays, special events, and seasons. I think our Summer 2017 list has been played approximately 2,439 times since its creation.
The problem is that they can get stuck on things like Kidz Bop and don’t realize that there is an entire musical library out there to appreciate.
Sometimes you need a break between “Despacito” and “You’re Welcome.”
After attending a particularly rowdy and fun spouses’ event that included a game of “name the song” from the ’80s, I started my kids’ music education with the ’80s and they liked it so much that I am sharing it with you. This is their mix tape:
- Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
- Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
- Tainted Love – Soft Cell
- Footloose – Kenny Loggins
- Mickey – Toni Basil
- I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Black Jets
- The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
- Little Red Corvette – Prince
- Take On Me – a-ha
- You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi
- Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
- I Want Candy – The Strangeloves
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
- Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
- Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles
- Manic Monday – The Bangles
- Every Little Thing She Does is Magic – The Police
- Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
- Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison
- Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
- I Saw Him Standing There – Tiffany
- Material Girl – Madonna
The best part? Listening to your kids wander around singing Bon Jovi under their breath!
