Well, this is disheartening – a new study funded by British candy company Jakemans reveals that today’s parents are singing their children to sleep much, much less than previous generations. Two-thirds of British parents say that they sing to their children less than their parents did, and many no longer even know the words to classic lullabies like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

One of the main reasons given by parents in the study is that they feel embarrassed by the sound of their own voice – a sorry side effect of the judgmental, media-obsessed culture that we live in. Multiple studies have shown that singing to infants and toddlers helps them build language skills and self-confidence, so why not go against the tide of popular sentiment and sing your little one to sleep tonight? You can even use a Rockabye Baby! CD as a karaoke track to keep things more current.

Do you sing to your kids?