Music is a versatile form of art that is present throughout the world. You can express yourself without conforming to any norms. Everyone is born with a certain knack for music and an early exposure to it develops the musical pathways in a child’s brain. There is no age bar to start listening to music. Babies can process it even before they start talking or walking. Playing music to a baby in the womb stimulates the formation of neural pathways in its brain and relaxes it. You just need to make sure the music is soothing and not too loud. Here are some of the benefits of music for your baby.
1. Enhances Creativity
Letting your baby play with noisy rattles enhances its creativity and develops its expressive skills. Once it is old enough to sit up straight, buy it toys that produce different sounds when it pushes the buttons, or simple instruments like xylophones and drums. Playing with instruments teaches it how its mind and body work together.
2. Develops Listening Skills
Listening to music stimulates your little one’s brain to process different types of sounds. Songs with simple lyrics improve its listening skills. If it smiles, coos, or chuckles when you play happy songs, it means that it is understanding the music.
3. Develops Language Skills
The key to developing your baby’s language skills is repetition. Play songs with clear lyrics and keep playing them over and over; they teach your little one how different words sound. If they try to imitate the lyrics, it results in faster speech development.
4. Improves Memory
Listening to catchy, happy music improves your baby’s memory. Play a song a few times and play it again after a gap of a few hours. Doing so triggers the young mind to remember the lyrics and the music. Try this out with different songs, but do not overdo it. Learning is a steady, gradual process.
5. Strengthens Muscles
Babies love bouncing, swaying, clapping, and dancing to music. Such motions strengthen their core muscles, help them gain balance and understand gravity, and develop their spatial awareness. Support your little one’s back or surround it with soft pillows when it is trying to dance to avoid injury.
6. Develops Fine Motor Skills
Holding musical instruments between the index finger and the thumb or grasping them using a fist develops your baby’s fine motor skills. These skills enable it to hold a spoon or use a pencil faster.
7. Teaches How To Self-Soothe
Your baby depends on you to soothe it when it wakes up at night; it looks to you for safety and security. Playing soft, melodious music in its room will teach your little one to soothe itself and fall back asleep. Once it one learns to self soothe, you can get a good night’s sleep with less disturbance.
8. Supports Emotional Development
Music brings on strong emotions in your baby. Listening to different types of music develops your child’s ability to detect and differentiate among the emotions and moods of others. Classical music is the best option for developing its emotional intelligence.
9. Supports Social Development
Actively being a part of music groups develops your little one’s social skills. It will learn about communication and cooperation. Shared experiences of dancing, bouncing, and clapping to steady beats makes it form social bonds with other babies.
Along with music, you should be an active part of your little one’s life. Growth and development is a journey that requires your full support. Participating in fun, musical activities with your baby improves your connection and strengthens your bond. Keep it away from music that incites emotions of rage, and watch out for sharp or small instruments that can be harmful for it.
