Singing
Do you sing to your baby? It is believed that singing with your baby is a wonderful way to stimulate your baby's senses. You will notice that talking or singing gains your baby's attention. Research suggests that baby's are listening to your voice when in the womb so when a baby is born they have already started to create that bond with their parent/carers and are familiar with those voices so can relate immediately and feel close to them, supporting their attachment to feel safe and secure.
How does singing benefit my baby's development?
Singing is a great form of communicating. It will encourage that understanding of words, phrases and noises as they hear things repeatedly being sung to them in a rhyme - prompting their sense of awareness, language and brain development. Singing can encourage perception of rhythm and melody, gaining your baby's attention, encouraging then to listen as they focus and engage with you.
Communication
A baby can learn to express themselves through songs and actions they learn. A baby does not just communicate through words they can communicate through gestures and actions. Do you notice your baby pushing away, shaking their head or pointing? These are some ways your baby may communicate with you so singing action songs are a great way to engage your baby in play. You can encourage movement and excitement through the action of clapping when singing. The actions reinforce the words being used.
Bonding
A study suggests that singing lullaby's supports a baby and carers bond but also it supports a baby's cognitive development, promoting positive emotions and encouraging attention skills between baby and their carer.
Get active
Singing can also motivate a baby to move their body to the rhythm of the songs and words being heard. Do you ever see your baby beginning to bob up and down or rock back and forwards to the song you are singing or listening to?
What songs can I sing?
- You can sing classic nursery rhymes
- Songs that you enjoy to listening to
- Sing to music
- How about personalising a song to support your baby's knowledge of their own name and excite them. You can even use the tune to a rhyme that you know and create your own words - try to include an action. I always use this with my daughter to gain her attention. Using your baby's name is a great way to start the song. For example sing; 'Annie Rae, Annie Rae where are you?' Then sing 'Here i am, here i am, how do you do?' (whilst lifting her arm in the air) firstly gaining her attention by using her name, making her aware of her own name and including her in the song, developing her understanding of turn taking when communicating, also developing her resilience and self confidence.
Family time
If you have other children or family there they can join in with singing. They can create their own songs and develop that relationship with the baby. Singing can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Puppets
If you have puppets, these are a great resource to use when singing. We use the The Puppet Company to buy our puppets that are age appropriate for baby's under one years or older. We have a puppet that comes in one of our subscription box to use when singing with a baby and to support their holistic development - take a look at the subscription information. We also sell sensory themed boxes with puppets in for baby's aged one and over as well as The Puppet Company Nursery Rhyme Sets with finger puppets. These can all be used when singing with a baby to excite them and support their holistic development.
Instruments
You can introduce instruments to promote language development, creativity and movement when singing. Sensory Box Surprise sell a sensory music box you can buy to support a baby's communication and language development. You can sing with the instruments, using actions, creating sounds, encouraging a baby's movement and generally get your baby excited.
What if I cannot sing?
It is very unlikely we will all sing like a professional, although some of us may think we can! Your baby does not know how good you are at singing. They will still be listening, learning and developing from those songs we sing and get to listen to your voice which is very important but also very special to your baby.
Tag us in some of your pictures or stories of your baby enjoying singing experiences on our Facebook or Instagram page.
Sources- Cognitive Neuroscience society & Scottish Book Trust & Jenny Leach specialising in evidence based health contents. Kate Fehlhaber, Editor-in-Chief of Knowing Neurons and a PhD candidate in Neuroscience.