Listen Up! How To Get Music Involved In Your Family Life
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As parents, we all want our kids to get involved with art and to be creative. Music is a huge part of that. Pretty much every child loves banging on drums and hitting their xylophones (even if we as adults don’t always appreciate the noise!). Continuing this love of music and noise into adulthood is something that I’d like to focus on more. Here are some ideas about how you can bring music into your everyday family life.
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Keep The Radio On
It’s tempting to stick to what you know. Put your MP3 player on shuffle, and at least you won’t have to listen to any infuriating advertisements or any songs that you hate. But closing yourself off to new music means closing yourself to new experiences. Put the radio on, listen to the top forty. There’ll be a lot of stuff that you hate on there but you might also find something that you love! And even if the new Katy Perry song gives you a headache, chances are your toddler will be bopping along to it happily in her high chair.
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Keep Playing Music
It’s tempting to turn it off if you’re busy or if you’re having a rough day but the truth is that music affects your mood and often improves it hugely. Even sad music can lift your mood, while happy music is proven to reduce stress and anxiety. If you’re in a rough mood, don’t retreat into silence. Remember that your favourite musicians have often put what you’re feeling into words, and turn the volume up. Invest in some Bluetooth speakers so that the music can follow you wherever you are in the house – Speaker Digital speakers pack a hell of a punch and your children will love the music too during playtime.
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Take Your Kids To Music Classes
Toddler music groups are a great way to meet other moms and to help introduce your kids to social situations, which will mean that they’re less overwhelmed when they finally start school. Not only will they appreciate the music but they’ll also start to make vital connections with other kids. In turn, this will mean that you can make connections with their parents! There’s nothing better than another mom friend who understands exactly what you’re going through and who can come over to drink coffee with you while your kids play on the floor.
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Teach Your Kids A Musical Instrument
Okay, so they might not grow up to be world class pianists, but what does that matter? Learning an instrument demands that your kids learn that practicing is a vital skill if they want to improve at something. Musical education helps with academic achievement because math and music are skills that are deeply entwined, and learning an instrument like the piano even helps with physical development and coordination. More than anything, learning an instrument teaches kids about delayed gratification – they’ll learn to persevere through weeks and months of not being great at something as they reach specific goals and gradually improve over time and learn the importance of never giving up. In the meantime, maybe invest in a pair of earplugs to put in during their practice time – particularly if they’re learning the violin!
