“And it doesn’t matter what a mother sings, just as long as she sings. “She can sing the phone book. She can sing her grocery list,” she says. “As long as she’s singing in a way that acknowledges the infant’s state… that is soothing if the infant is distressed, that is rhythmic if the infant is playful; as long as there is that match that’s all that’s important.”
The Benefits of Singing to your Baby
- Singing helps grow the attachment between mother and infant
- Singing helps with emotional self-regulation
- Singing a rhythmic song can help keep interaction going when baby is content and playful
- Singing a soothing, slower song can help calm a cranky child
- Singing is more flexible and dynamic, so more helpful than recorded music
In our Growing Together in Music classes, I always encourage moms/dads to SING with us just for these reasons. The more you sing with and connect with your baby, the more tools you’ll have as they grow to connect emotionally and physically with them.
It doesn’t matter what you sing!
Do you find nursery songs boring/annoying? I encourage you to sing songs YOU like (my babies grew up listening to me singing Mumford & Sons and The Rolling Stones). Do you have a hard time thinking of something to sing? Sing about the weather, sing about putting their diaper on, or just sing their name in different ways. Believe me, it doesn’t have to be a Billboard Hit or an amazing, perfect song. It is something just for the two of you–and your baby LOVES your voice. :)
Do you have questions or want more information on using music with your baby? Contact me!
Read the full article, The Benefits of Singing to Babies, here.
