Kids Songs
A Song for Your Grandchild From Grandma and Grandpa
What to put in a song for your grandchild from grandma and grandpa, how the parents can help, and how to share it on video calls from far away.
By Seb, founder of Only Happy Tears5 min read
In this article
A grandparent's love often has to travel: across town, across the country, through a phone screen. A song with your grandchild's name at its center is one way to send it, and to be there on the nights you can't.
A song for your grandchild from grandma and grandpa is a song that sings their name, made for their age, and full of things only you know: what they call you, the pancakes at your house, the bird feeder you watch together. Ask the parents for help with details and pronunciation, then send it by link.
What grandparents know that parents forget
Your best material is the stuff that only happens with you. Parents are inside the busy week, and some things blur when you see them every day. You see your grandchild in visits and calls, so the small rituals stand out.
You also hold the long view. You might hear your son's laugh in your grandson, or remember your daughter hiding under the same kitchen table at the same age. A line that links the two is something only you can give.
Use these prompts to find two or three details worth a song:
- What they call you: Nana, Pop, Abuelo, Grandma Jo.
- The thing you always do together: pancakes shaped like their first letter, feeding the ducks, the card game Grandpa loses on purpose.
- A word they only use at your house, or a family saying you got from your own parents.
- How they're like their mom or dad was at that age.
- What they asked you about on the last call, because that's what's on their mind right now.
- Your place: the step stool by the sink, the garden, the blue cup that's only theirs.
A four-year-old will light up at "the blue cup at Nana's" in a way a general line about love can't match.
Listen to a song for a 4-year-old
Ask the parents for help
The parents are your best source, so make them part of it. Keep the song a surprise for your grandchild, not for them. They know this month's favorite animal, the new best friend, and exactly how the name is said at home.
Pronunciation matters most. The name is sung the way it's said at home, in the first line, every chorus and the last line, so if you've always said it a little differently, go with the parents' version and ask them to spell it the way it sounds.
Here's a text you can copy. Lila is only an example, so swap in your grandchild's name:
Hi, Grandpa and I want to make a little song for Lila. Can you help with four things? How do you spell her name the way it sounds, what is she into right now, who is her best friend, and is there anything she says all the time? And please don't tell her.
Ask too whether there's anything they'd rather leave out. Some families keep certain things private, and it's their call.
Sending it by link
When the song is ready, send the link to the parents with a short note from both of you. Let them pick the moment to play it: breakfast, the car, the bath.
The note matters more than you'd think. Say who it's from and why now, for example: "We miss you, and we wanted you to have something from us at bedtime." Then ask one favor: if they're comfortable, could they film the first listen? When you live far away, you miss a lot of first reactions. A short clip brings this one to you.
If you'll be together in person, you can play it yourself: at a visit, before a birthday dinner, or on the first night of a sleepover. If you won't, the next best place is a video call.
Far away? Play it on your video calls
If you live far away, the song can become the way your calls start, a small signal that it's Grandma and Grandpa before anyone says hello. A few steps make it work:
- Make sure the parents have the song before the call, so it plays from their speaker in the room. Music played through a video call often sounds thin or cuts out.
- Pick a calm time, after a meal or a nap, when nobody is overtired.
- Ask a parent to point the phone at your grandchild, so you see their face when they hear their name in the first line.
- Sing the chorus with them the second time through. Their name comes back in every chorus, so they catch on fast.
- Make it a habit. Ask the parents to play the opening at the start of the next call, and the one after, until it's the way your calls begin.
If your grandchild is a baby, the first call is mostly for the parents, and that's fine. At that age the song is soft and slow, like a music box, and it can settle into nap time at their house long after you hang up.
Bonus songs for bedtime at Grandma's
Your grandchild's song comes with two bonus songs picked for their age, and they fit the nights spent at your house.
- Under 5: lullabies and routine songs for bedtime, bath time and brushing teeth. If they sleep over, hearing the same bedtime song at your house and at home can make the guest bed feel a little more familiar.
- 5 to 12: a chill goodnight song, game day or best friends. If Grandpa never misses a soccer game, the game day song is his. The goodnight song works for sleepovers and for bedtime calls.
Say your granddaughter, we'll call her Rosie, is three and stays with you every other Friday. Her main song is the one you play on video calls. Her bedtime song is the one you play when she's in the guest bed with the night-light on and asks to hear it one more time.
A song from both of you
Start with what only you know, add what the parents tell you, and you have what you need. Start your grandchild's song with their name, their age and two or three details from your list, and we write their song from your answers.
If the name or a detail isn't quite right, there are unlimited revisions until it's perfect, and every song comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. To see how the songs change from babies to tweens, visit the kids songs page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a song for my grandchild mention what they call me, like Nana or Pop?
Yes. Tell us exactly what your grandchild calls you, spelled the way they say it, whether that's Nana, Pop-Pop, Abuela or a name they made up. One song can include several names, so both grandparents can be in it. Your grandchild's name stays the star: it's the one sung in the first line, every chorus and the last line.
Should I ask the parents before giving my grandchild a personalized song?
Yes, and it makes the song better. The parents know how the name is said at home, what your grandchild is into this month and who their best friend is. Keep it a surprise for the child, not for the parents. Asking first also lets them mention anything they'd rather keep out of a song, and lets them plan a good moment to play it.
Is a personalized song a good gift for a baby grandchild?
It can be, as long as you know who it's for at first. A baby won't know the song is about them yet, so in the early months it's a gift for the parents too. Songs for babies up to 12 months are soft and slow, like a music box, which suits naps and bedtime. As the child grows, it becomes the song Grandma and Grandpa made for them when they were tiny.
Can I get one song for all my grandchildren?
Each kids song is built around one child, with their name in the first line, every chorus and the last line, and a style made for their age. Siblings and cousins can be mentioned by name in the story. If you want every grandchild to hear their own name in the chorus, give each one their own song, which also lets a toddler and a tween each get a sound that suits them.
Can I post my grandchild's song on Facebook?
The song is for personal use, which includes sharing it with family and friends and posting it on your personal social media. Check with the parents first, though. Some parents keep their children's names off social media, and the song sings your grandchild's name over and over. A private message to the family is often the safer way to share it.
Seb, founder of Only Happy Tears
Music has carried all of us through the hard days and the happy ones. I started Only Happy Tears after writing a song for my family to tell them how grateful I am. Their first reaction was happy tears. Now I want everyone to be able to give that moment to the people they love, at a price anyone can afford and with no subscriptions.