Parental Lessons You Didn’t Know To Look For When Pursuing Music With Your Preschooler
When we embark on teaching music to our youngsters, we open them up to a whole world of benefits that include everything from improved language understanding to a ready-made opportunity to bond. That, in itself, is worth incorporating music into as many aspects of your day as possible, but what fewer people realize is that regularly exposing children to music also packs a range of potential parental lessons.
After all, as parents, we’re always on the lookout for an indication that our kids are doing well. Music from a young age, in particular, offers a direct and undeniable way to check up on this for a range of reasons, the most obvious of which we’re going to consider here.
A free hearing test
While hearing tests with a professional audiologist are crucial not long after birth, it’s important that parents also keep an eye out for any hearing changes. Music that truly opens up the senses provides a reliable and free way to do this, with children who react to music by either dancing or, when a little younger, turning their heads towards the sound proving clearly that their hearing is up to scratch. By comparison, a child that fails to respond to music in most instances, or who fails to turn their head towards this sound even past the 5ish-month mark may benefit from further hearing checks or regular appointments with an audiologist who can check things out.
A clear indication of comprehension
As our children grow their comprehension should expand, and preschool songs with actions both help to ensure that happens, and provide a way for parents to keep track. Of course, to start with, children don’t react all that much to music except for perhaps a smile. However, as we continue to repeat songs and actions, children who are meeting their developmental milestones should start mimicking simple movements before beginning to interact far more directly with the music around them, either through requests or more demanding actions. If this doesn’t happen, it’s a sign that developmental checks might be necessary. However, if it does, it can be a hugely satisfying way to watch your child grow and to develop activities that you can do together even once they’re older.
An insight into personality
Though we naturally all like to feel that our kids are unique, personality doesn’t tend to establish until the toddler years. That said, music tastes that are often a direct offshoot of our personalities can give you an insight into your child way before then. For instance, if your newborn sleeps best to heavy metal, it could be a sign that they’re enthusiastic and resilient. By comparison, a slightly older preschooler who likes activity-filled songs is likely to be passionate and energetic. In each instance, recognizing these patterns and even tailoring song times towards them can be a great way to connect, and to make sure that your child truly engages with music they love.
Music teaches our kids a lot, but are you aware to look out for these parental lessons yourself?
