Music as a Bonding Tool Between Baby and Parent
Metro Music Makers had the pleasure of partnering with Moms on Call, a wonderful company bringing valuable resources to new parents all over the globe. MMM music therapist Kristen Van Dyke wrote a blog that focused on incorporating music into your 0- to 6 month-old-baby’s day. At this age, music can play a valuable role in parent/child bonding experiences. Babies recognize their parents’ voices immediately, and they become a source of comfort. Since babies are not able to do too much right away (except look adorable!), music making is the perfect activity for parents to do with their children while they are awake. It can be enjoyable and stimulating for the baby and promote positive bonding time with caregivers. Music can also play a powerful role in the bedtime routine. In the blog, Kristen discusses how choosing a specific song to sing at naptime/bedtime can help to cue sleep.
The Importance of Live Singing
Kristen also emphasized the importance of live singing vs. recorded music in the blog. Dr. Christa Reeves is an Audiologist with Little Listeners and a friend of Metro Music Makers. She has extensive experience in pediatric audiology. She stated in the blog, “Communication involves so much more than audition. Infants in particular are very in tune (pun intended) with all of the other nuances of speech. There is, of course, what they can see, but what they FEEL is also critical to language learning. They can feel your breath on their faces and the vibrations through your chest when they are being cuddled. These more kinesthetic elements of speech and singing will be missing if only recorded music is utilized.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with having recorded music playing throughout the day with a baby; however, live singing provides immeasurable connection from parent to child.
Two Original Songs Available Now!
Along with Kristen, Metro Music Makers team members J.T. Lee, Mark Grundhoefer and Allison Jarrell worked together to write and produce two original songs for this age group. The song “Hello” can be used as an awake time song between parent and child, while “Nighty Night” is an example of a lullaby that you may use during the bedtime routine. They are available for streaming on all digital music platforms here. Visit Moms on Call for the full blog on music and infants!
Additional Resources
Check out the video below for a demonstration of how to use the original songs created by the Metro Music Makers team for this age group.
Looking for toys to help you incorporate music into your baby’s day? Check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations from our music therapy team!