Your Mix Tape is Their Playlist: Rad Music for Your Wannabe ’80s Children

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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:

  1. Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
  2. Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
  3. Tainted Love – Soft Cell
  4. Footloose – Kenny Loggins
  5. Mickey – Toni Basil
  6. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Black Jets
  7. The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
  8. Little Red Corvette – Prince
  9. Take On Me – a-ha
  10. You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi
  11. Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
  12. I Want Candy – The Strangeloves
  13. Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
  14. Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
  15. Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles
  16. Manic Monday – The Bangles
  17. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic – The Police
  18. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
  19. Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison
  20. Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
  21. I Saw Him Standing There – Tiffany
  22. Material Girl – Madonna

The best part? Listening to your kids wander around singing Bon Jovi under their breath!

Do your kids like ’80s music? What would you add to this list?

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Christy Curtis
Christy is the co-founder of Military Moms Blog. Originally from St. Louis, Christy moved to San Antonio, Texas, for college. She ended up meeting her Air Force husband there and has been on the move ever since. She has mostly lived in the Central Time Zone but also in Italy and England, and she currently calls the Mississippi Gulf Coast home. Christy has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, specializing in pediatrics, and although she teaches as an adjunct professor, most of her mad behavioral skills are used on her three small children. Christy loves to be active and spends her time running, swimming, and playing with her kids. She is an amateur DIY’er and will attempt any and all projects. She likes to stay up late and get up early, so you may find her running before the sun comes up, Internet shopping at midnight, and enjoying iced coffee in between!