Baby Play: Singing

This is a new post in my Baby Play series

Which I originally started with Bea

In 2015

This first 2017 post

Is all about singing

In our house we love to sing

I have been singing to all our children

Since they were conceived

In NICU

I would sit beside Esther and William

In their incubators and sing to them

I believe that singing played a large part

In the fact

That all our children have been early talkers

And have wide vocabularies from a very early age

Everyone who meets Bea

Comments on her extensive vocabulary and advanced use of language

Bea is very good at making up songs

As is Esther

And the two of them can be heard singing a lot of the time

William has no time for singing as he

NEVER stops talking!

I am hoping that Edie will also grow with a love of language

And will always have a song in her heart

I sing with Edie every day

I sing her to sleep

Sing to soothe her

We sing when we play

Edie loves any and all interaction

And being sung to always brings a gummy grin to her face

It is magical

Our first song of the day is often during a nappy change

I also sing to her in the bath

And as I get her dressed

I am 40 years old

And one of my most precious childhood memories

Is being sung to by my Dad

He used to sing Que Sera Sera

And Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen by the Sea

Two songs that I still sing with my children today

Singing is a wonderful way to bond with your baby

And make them feel loved

It does not matter what you sing

Lullabies, nursery rhymes

Hymns, Pop or Rock

It does not matter if you are tone deaf

Or if you stumble over the words

It matters not

Your baby will think it is wonderful

Whatever you do

Your baby thinks you are wonderful

Go for it!

Here are 10 reasons to sing with your baby

1. Singing to your baby is a bonding experience. You will be close together, spending precious time focused on one another, getting to know each other. Singing helps your baby become more familiar with the sound of your voice.

2. Ease transitions throughout your day with song. Sing a going to the car song, sing a changing your nappy song. My older children love their ‘tidy up music’ and love it when I make up songs as I clean their teeth. Punctuate your daily routine with song.

3. Language. Babies are born with no language. As parents we are their first and most important teachers. We give them their first inkling, their first comprehension of language and we can do this through nursery rhymes and songs.

4. Through song we can introduce new words, we can extend our children’s vocabulary, their ability to associate a word with a feeling or thing. Action songs are great for this and using toys, puppets and flashcards to illustrate what you sing. Babies love to learn and in their early days everything is new, it is such an exciting time and their development can be enhanced through song.

5. Babies love rhythm and rhyme things they can learn through poems and songs that in later life they will use as they learn to read and write. Babies love it when you dance with them to your favourite songs and sing along.

6. Singing is playing and there are so many interactive songs that seem like a game. Action songs and nursery rhymes are the perfect place to start. Lots of eye contact, actions such as rowing your boat and riding along on your big red tractor and being Humpty Dumpty falling off your wall. All good fun for you and for baby. If you do not know many songs or are unsure of the actions You Tube is your friend. I am going to record some action songs for my channel that I hope you might helpful. I have also put some links to videos, audio files and song words below.

7. Singing is fun for all the family so do get any older siblings involved. Esther, William and Bea love singing to Edie and she loves it though they all struggle to hold a tune and sing in different clashing keys!

8. Help your baby learn their name by singing it to them. Use a familiar tune and substitute the words for your baby’s name.

9. Singing to your baby encourages them to listen to you. As they listen they are developing skills for listening to other sounds. They are developing their listening skills, an ability to hear words and melodies to distinguish between your voice and others.

10. Singing to your baby will show them that you love them. They will feel loved as you focus your attention and energy on them. They will not care what you sing, it could be your shopping list, but you will be singing for them and they will adore you for it.

Here is a video from my new You Tube channel talking more about singing with your baby and showing us singing with Edie Mae. The links you need to extend your repertoire of songs are below.