Can listening to music benefit my child?

Definitely. Think about how music affects you—how an upbeat tune chases away the blues and soft music helps you fall asleep. Your baby is no different.

Lullabies have a proven track record for soothing infants—ask any parent who has resorted to singing them when the baby wakes up at 2 o’clock in the morning. “I remember rocking my son to sleep to the tune of ‘Snuggle Up,’ ” says Rich Ham-Kucharski of Canton, Michigan, father of Alex. “When we didn’t play music, he would fight sleep.”

Music is sometimes part of therapy for premature babies because research links listening to music to improved weight gain. One study found that 34-week-old babies given pacifiers that activated recordings of lullabies had shorter hospital stays.

Music can benefit you, too. It has the power to lift your spirits, soothe your frayed nerves, and move you to dance.

And music helps with bonding. Imagine the joy you’ll share with your child when you sway to the beat of a lovely melody. (Try Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”) Or how soothing it will be for you and your baby when you sing him a lilting lullaby (“Hush, Little Baby” is always a winner).

Can music make my baby smarter?

The jury’s still out on this question because not much research is available. Some experts claim that learning to play an instrument makes kids smarter in math, but that conclusion is based on research that focused on older children, not babies and young toddlers. However, plenty of research shows that studying music at a young age profoundly influences brain development.

A study involving both college students and 5-year-olds suggests that listening to pleasing music improves performance on cognitive tests and promotes creativity.

Other research shows that newborns can discriminate between their native language and unfamiliar language by listening to pitch and rhythm. At 2 months old, according to one study, infants can remember brief melodies. And some experts say that fetuses as young as 35 weeks can distinguish between and remember different sounds.

What are the best ways to make music a part of my child’s life?

Instead of the television, make the stereo, or a musical instrument, the most important fixture in your home. “You’re sowing a seed,” says Rosalie Pratt, a professor of music medicine at Brigham Young University.

Play music at bedtime.Associate specific songs with the end of the day to train your child to sleep. Keep the sound and tempo slow, and the room darkened.

But avoid putting on a go-to-sleep tape and leaving the room so your baby can fall asleep to it. “When the songs end, your baby may wake up and need you to come in to start the music up again,” says psychologist Jodi Mindell, a Philadelphia pediatric sleep expert and author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Instead, play a few songs for your child then turn the tape or CD player off before he falls asleep.

  • Sing to your baby. Don’t worry about how you sound—your child won’t critique you but will love the effort and attention.And your selections don’t have to be limited to lullabies—sing songs during play time, too. Stack a tower of blocks and knock it down as you sing “London Bridge.” Even a simple game of peekaboo can become musical theater when you sing the words out loud. Make funny faces and gestures to keep your child engaged.
  • Let your child make his own music. Your child may also enjoy banging on a drum, piano, or xylophone, but don’t take things too seriously at this age. Most children aren’t ready to start instrument lessons until they’re 5 to 7 years old.

Is there a type of music that’s best for a child?

Let your personal preferences be your guide. If you like classical music and your baby appears to enjoy it too, go with that. Play your favorite show tunes (schmaltzy or not) or spice things up with Brazilian or African beats. Anything with a good melody will do, although slow songs may work best for bedtime and fast ones for play time.

You may want to stay away from head-banging rock, grunge music, or rap. Research suggests that infants prefer pleasant, harmonic music rather than discordant, harsh sounds. When it comes to playing tunes for your kids, think cheerful and simple.

The bottom line

A reasonable goal is to cultivate a love for music in your child, not create the next Mozart. Listening to music should be about having fun and exposing your child to new sounds and rhythms.

Take your cues from your baby. Does he seem to enjoy what you play for him? Does he become animated when you belt out a certain tune?

Follow his lead, and chances are you’ll raise a music lover for life.

by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board
source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_music-and-your-baby-newborn-to-1-year_6548.bc