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The Rhythm of Play
Interacting With Babies and Toddlers Through Music
By Lisa Flaxman
Recently, I saw an ad on TV for a talking lawnmower that makes idle chatter with toddlers while they pretend to cut the grass. It probably wasn't what the toy maker intended, but for me the message was that parents are afraid that their own interactions with their children are deficient and that a child would prefer a talking toy to their own imagination or the voice of a parent or caregiver.
I remember when I had my first baby I wondered how to interact with him enough so he wouldn't be under-stimulated. When I could think of nothing else to say, I would sing about what I was doing in the kitchen or hum favorites from my childhood. I noticed that music almost always captured his attention.
What every child development expert knows, and what parents must remember, is that babies need emotional security and interaction with caregivers more than any whizzing, buzzing "developmental" toy. And one of the most perfect ways to interact with babies is through music. While most babies naturally are drawn to music and rhythm, many parents feel inhibited about their singing voices or think that they are not "musical" enough to play with and teach their child musically. But your baby can't tell if your voice isn't as smooth as that of Norah Jones, or if your sense of rhythm is closer to Spongebob's than Fred Astaire's. So don't be inhibited. (We promise, we're not listening!) Providing musical experiences for your child is an easy and fun way to promote the kind of stimulation babies need to start them off on the right foot physically, mentally and emotionally.
Singing and rocking your child makes the baby feel safe and encourages the parent-child bond to grow strong. Music also helps develop a baby's perception of his physical domain. Feeling rhythm through activities like swaying, dancing, tapping and clapping helps them to learn how their bodies are organized, to learn to balance and gain muscle control, and to sequence movements.
Exposure to music has many benefits for a child's development long after the days of infancy have passed. Scientific studies show that music helps children develop logic abilities. We know that a sense of internal rhythm is very important for learning to read (ask Dr. Seuss!). We also know that children must learn to listen, focus and pay attention. For example, kids who can pick out the words in a song as part of "auditory stream" have gained a very important skill.
Music allows children to explore sounds with their voices and to use instruments as tools, helping them to understand melodic direction, tempo and rhythmic patterns. Learning to sing develops language, articulation, diction and expression. As the earliest form of nonverbal communication, music encourages movement as an outward manifestation of inner perceptions and thoughts.
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