Big Little Songs

12 short songs for kiddos and their grown-ups

Big Little Songs is a collection of short, developmentally grounded songs designed to support children and the grown-ups who care for them. These songs address regulation, emotions, habits, identity, and relationship using simple language, repetition, and melody.

Each song is meant to be easy to learn, easy to remember, and easy to use. They are tools for transitions, for repair, for building routines, and for developing emotional literacy. While written with young children in mind, the songs are intentionally designed to support grown-ups as well, because learning, regulation, and growth are lifelong processes.

Find “Dr. Emily” wherever you stream.

The Songs

1. Practice Makes Progress · when it drops, simply begin again; mistakes are part of learning
2. Having a Hard Time · the reframe for everyone in the room: they’re not giving you a hard time, they’re having one
3. This Too Shall Pass · from the Jewish folk wisdom of gam zeh ya’avor; feelings are real, and they move
4. Falling Down Is Part of Growing Up · sung mid-tumble, with a bounce down and a lift up, so the body learns it first
5. I’m Here · a quiet chant for showing an upset person, baby to grown-up, that you are caring and connected
6. Please Stop! (feat. Libby) · practice for speaking up, and for what listening well sounds like
7. Oh My, Oy Vey · for mild frustrations: name what happened, then choose a way to cope
8. Your Body Is Your Business · a playful, warm boundary: bodies are not open for evaluation
9. You Can Be Mad · all feelings are allowed; the boundary is on behavior
10. Don’t Put It Down! (Put It Away) · the song holds the expectation so you can stay connected
11. Regulate, Relate, Redirect · learn the order in calm moments so it is ready in hard ones
12. Good Inside (feat. Talya, Shir & Libby) · the behavior gets guided; the goodness stays

Why I Made This Collection

I wrote this collection at the intersection of my work as an educator, my lived experience as a parent, and my ongoing process of understanding how my ADHD brain works.

For many years, I carried shame about the fact that I needed supports that seemed unnecessary for others. Tasks that appeared simple from the outside required significant effort, planning, and emotional energy for me. Over time, through therapy, reflection, and study, I began to understand that this was not a failure of character. It was information about how my brain works.

Music was there from the beginning. I was using it before I ever realized what it was doing: helping me start tasks, steady my emotions, remember expectations, and move through moments that might otherwise feel overwhelming. The understanding came later, through therapy, reflection, and study. The songs came first.

As a parent, this mattered deeply. Songs allowed me to step out of cycles of nagging and correction and into shared cues that preserved connection. They helped my children and me build habits, cope with frustration, and repair more easily when things went wrong.

This collection brings together research-informed practice, lived parenting experience, and musical strategies that reduce cognitive load and support connection.

See the Songs at Work

Go Deeper

Want the full story behind one song? Read the Good Inside guide page, including the zipper structure, the Jewish context, and teaching tips. And for the thinking behind the whole collection, read Calm Comes First: Why Regulation and Reflection Must Precede Repair.