5 Simple Ways to Add Music Education to Your Newborn's Day
It’s not news to anyone that a newborn’s brain is like a sponge.
Just like it’s never too late to learn music, it’s never too early either! There are many passive ways to expose your child to music but being the active music maker and teacher is significantly more impactful for your kiddo. *yes, you can be your child’s “Ms. Rachel and they will think you are just as cool!”*
I am not suggesting that you sit your newborn down for 20 minutes and go through a detailed lesson plan making sure they are paying attention to every part… Trust me, I know how impossible that is!
What I am suggesting is that you have a collection of songs and activities ready to go so when the moment presents itself, you are ready to add in a little music education!
This can be as simple as singing a tapping song like “Pitter Patter” while burping your baby. - Burping is something you will already be doing, why not add learning steady beat and a simple melody while you’re at it?
Here are 5 simple ways I added music education into my newborn’s day with ease!
Bouncing - While bounce my baby on my knee, I sing a little song to help him pretend he’s riding a horse! Here is one of my favorites - “I Have A Little Pony”
Tickles - The changing table is a perfect time to get a tickle song in (either before or after the change depending on how your baby is acting). “On My Toe There is a Flea” is a great tickle song for your newborn! Sing it through three or more times tapping your fingers on your baby from toes to head and back down while singing.
Moving to Music - This is a two-for-one. Tapping your fingers on your kiddo or bouncing while listening to music is a great way to reinforce steady beat. Use any type of music with a strong beat that is not too fast or slow (between 120-136 beats per minute if you want to get really specific!) We like to listen to jazz music or classical standards.
We also love to move expressively to music! It’s never too early to dance with your child. When we’re trying to settle down a little bit, I like to put on The Carnival of Animals and dance with my baby to the different movements.
Singing Stories - My son LOVES tummy time! I like to take that opportunity to read him books. Some of the books, if they rhyme, I will add a melody and sing them to him. There is nothing more soothing to your child than the sound of your voice. NEVER be afraid to sing to your child- they will love your voice no matter what you think it sounds like.
Some stories already have an established melody like one of my favorites, Kitty Alone. Others, like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, I make up my own!
Lullaby - This may be the obvious one but I do like to sing a lullaby to my son when it’s bedtime. Again, nothing is more soothing to a child than their parents’ voices. Sing through your favorite lullaby until your child starts to doze off - end by humming the melody a few times through before putting your kiddo down. I like to rotate between different lullabies and “Bye and Bye” is one of my favorites!
Do you want to learn more ways of incorporating music into your child’s day EASILY?
This winter, I will be launching a program for new parents, soon-to-be-parents, or even seasoned parents that makes learning and practicing music for your child EASY. This program will offer bite-size teachings that will help you EASILY add music education into your child's daily life. (Seriously, you won’t even realize the massive impact adding a few things here and there will make!) And did I mention it will be EASY?
If you are interested in receiving more information specifically about this new program as it develops, join the focused mailing list!