As a parent, you want to provide your child with the best start and help them on the road for healthy development. What can you do? Leverage the power of music.
Whether it is singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” playing music and swaying back and forth, or banging on pots and pans, engaging in musical activities with your little one helps brain development.
Recent research shows that music affects the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of babies and strengthens cognitive and sensory development.
Language Development
Learning to classify sounds in music helps your baby distinguish sounds of language, improve verbal memory, and build listening skills.
Social and Emotional Development
Singing a lullaby to soothe your baby builds a bond between you and your little one and assists your baby in learning how to regulate emotions and soothe themselves. Singing songs about feelings helps your baby learn words to describe their emotional experiences.
Cognitive Development
Music provides a fun and easy way for your baby to learn about math concepts, such as counting, patterns, sequencing, and so much more. Songs like “Five Little Monkeys,” “Ten in the Bed,” or “Five Little Ducks” are all wonderful examples of learning how to count.
Small and Large Motor Development
Tapping, clapping, dancing, or swaying back and forth while singing help with brain development and small and large motor development. Learning to move to the beat of the music helps your baby develop physical coordination skills.
You may think, “Well, I am not a good singer.” That is just fine. Your singing voice does not matter. You are singing to your baby, not to a judge on American Idol or The Voice, and your baby loves the sound of your voice and the attention you are giving them.
Your baby is a born music-maker, so share your playlist, sing together, or make music together! The benefits are powerful!
