When I had my first son, I began singing to him almost immediately. This seemed natural since I had been singing to him before he was even born. During those first few days, my husband and I were always singing to him or had some sort of music playing.
"Music has been a part of my life since I was a baby and I wanted the same for my children."
Music has been a part of my life since I was a baby and I wanted the same for my children. For my son, it calmed him and helped us bond with him. Even today, whenever I sing to him, he is very responsive.
Whether it be singing along to his favorite show or to help him go to sleep, music is a part of his every day development.
My love of music started when I was just a child and my mother would sing to me. My earliest, and fondest, memories are of my mother singing to put me to sleep or to calm my fears.
Music has an uncanny ability to soothe and connect people in ways only a melody can.
From teaching kids their ABC's, to helping them cope with a situation, it is one of the most effective methods for teaching across all areas of life. People use music to memorize, tell stories, and even let out anger and frustration.
There's nothing that brings people together quite like music.
Just as much as music can be positive, it can also be negative. Sadness and anger can easily be translated into a song and the listener can feel the pain of the writer's heart. If negative music is listened to too often, it can have the effect of intensifying those feelings of anguish and melancholy, leading to further sadness and anger of the listener.
Through the words of a music artist comes great influence.
Through the words of a music artist comes great influence. My children have learned many songs already, some of which are not exactly appropriate for their age. However, the fact they can learn such complex rhythms and melodies at a young age shows how impressionable they really are.
Music has a way of reaching people in ways that speech cannot. That's why we need to be intentional about the music that exists in our children's lives.
There are many ways to implement music in our daily lives as parents. Our children soak up our attention like plants soak up the sunshine.
Singing with our children is one of the best ways to connect, teach, and grow our little humans.
Singing with our children is one of the best ways to connect, teach, and grow our little humans. Some songs you might integrate are Word Party's "Let's Not Fight" or Daniel Tiger's "Calming Down" to teach children the right way to respond to big emotions.
Try it with your little one today. They won't mind if you make it up on the fly, or if you borrow it from a show or musician. Just add some extra music time into anything that you're doing to make it fun and build positive connections with them.
Make sure to check out the Growing With Music Facebook page to find more resources on incorporating melody-making in your home!
