At four months in the womb, a baby can be soothed by the rhythmic sounds of her mother’s heartbeat, blood flow and digestive organs. By seven months, (s)he can hear everything that her mother does. Some parents chose to sing their unborn child songs in the womb, and there is even a set a speakers available that look like large headphones that fit over the belly to expose the unborn child to music. Some people may raise their eyebrows at the practice of singing to unborn children, or exposing them to classical music before they even see sunlight, but many parents find that the very same songs heard in the womb will sooth the newborns when they are fussy. There is certainly no denying the power of music!
Toddlers love to sing and there are countless YouTube videos made by parents who were shocked to discover their small child who barely talks, is singing along to the radio word for word in the back seat. Nursery rhymes, lullabies, hymns or listening along in the car to popular radio, it is clear that children absorb the music they hear like a sponge and enjoy it.
Listening to a classical song one time will not make much of a difference any more than being accidentally exposed to inappropriate music will really harm a child once. Repetitiveness is key when attempting to gain benefits from enriching music for a child. Play upbeat music in the background during playtime to set a tone for the moment, play a relaxing refrain during nap-time, and if the same songs are used over and over a three positive things will happen.
First, your child will recognize the chords of the classical music that sets the tone and, after a while, the child may know exactly what a song from Mozart sounds like compared to Chopin or Bach. Second, the songs that set a tone will help your child understand what to expect. If you play a certain type of music at nap time, then when the music comes on they will begin to subconsciously calm down. The same is true of the upbeat tunes during playtime. The third and greatest benefit of repetitively exposing your child to music is the things you cannot be seen immediately; when a person listens to music, his or her brain tries to predict the coming chords. In many popular songs the chords and lyrics are easy to predict and rewarding for the brain, and therefor they are somewhat addictive. Classical music does have chords that are predictable by the brain, and can certainly have the same addictive qualities as popular music, but the payoff in the synapses of the brain is higher because the brain has to work a little harder to build the connections that enable the prediction of the coming chords. These connections are like muscles, they can be worked repetitively and help your child have more brain connections due to simply finding joy in complex music.
Choosing appropriate music for your toddler and encouraging play with sounds will help brain development in young children. Preschoolers and elementary school kids should be encouraged to practice self-expression, whether it is through singing or dancing. Having a toy chest full of different children’s musical instruments found at vendors like West Music and Making Friends will allow your child to use their imagination and perhaps forge the beginnings of a valuable new skill. In a day and age in which electronic handhelds and videogames run rampant through many households, your kids will benefit from fun activities that encourage socializing, creativity, dexterity and more.
** This article has been contributed to www.yourwellness.com by Amanda Harris.
