healthykids
songs comfort crying babies and help
them feel secure when going to sleep.
Incorporating lullabies into a
bedtime ritual helps ease the transition
at night or nap time. They may help
if a child wakes in the middle of the
night, has a nightmare or is sleeping
away from home. Playing a recording of
lullabies only when nursing just before
bed is conducive to sleep, as the little
one will associate music with bedtime
and the comfort of nursing. In my own
experience with dozens of mothers,
we’ve also discovered that playing the
lullabies when weaning creates an as-
sociation that can even make weaning
easier.
Crying is musical
Crying is the beginning of speech, lan-
guage and singing. Through crying, we
discover our voice and communicate
Healthful Harmonies
our needs. Like singing, crying has a
pitch and continues for a specific length
of time. Eventually, cries become vocal
sounds, squeals and babbling.
All Ages Benefit from the
By imitating baby’s vocal sounds,
we encourage her to vocalize even
Power of Rhythm and Sound
more. Before long, we’re having a
conversation with our baby in nonsense
by Jamie Blumenthal
words. Even very young babies are
music evokes emotions, memories and social and spiritual
aware of such communication, which
lays the foundation for talking and
connectedness. It’s the one medium that cuts through learning how to have a conversation.
boundaries of age, culture, disability and disease. music
We can also incorporate vocal
sounds into familiar songs. Instead of
helps us express feelings and communicates a sense
singing the words to a song, sing syl-
of safety, security and comfort, especially with young
lables of ba, da, ma or la. Parents often
are surprised to find their baby singing
children. Plus, it’s a fun way to learn.
along to the familiar ‘words’. Soon,
baby will combine these syllables
T
here are endless ways we can
birth makes them a familiar environ-
into real words, able to communicate
bring music into children’s lives,
ment that helps calm baby. During the
thoughts and feelings.
and our own, to enrich overall
birth process, other forms of music help
Facilitate further language practice
well-being and quality of life. Let’s
distract the mother from the pain of
with a maturing child by leaving out
begin with pregnancy.
labor and delivery.
the last word of a musical phrase to a
familiar song; the child will usually fill
during gestation
lullabies
in the word. Continue doing this until
An unborn baby can hear Mother’s
for little Ones
the youngster is singing along with the
heartbeat and the melody of her voice, entire song. The Institute for Music and
according to David Chamberlain, Ph.D.,
Many lullabies tend to have a tempo
Neurologic Function notes that music
author of “The Fetal Senses: A Classical
similar to a resting human heartbeat,
involves both sides of the brain. In an
View”. Singing quiet lullabies comforts
about 60 to 80 beats per minute, advise
article in Voices: A World Forum for
both and helps form a family bond.
music therapists. Singing lullabies to
Music Therapy, certified music thera-
Recording these lullabies and playing
children is a way to nurture them and
pist Joanne Loewy explains how music
them at the moment of birth and after
communicate our love. These gentle
helps develop speech and language.
0 Collier / Lee Counties
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