Did you know that music benefits babies? Besides an early appreciation of music, here are some of the wide range of cognitive, developmental, and emotional benefits of listening to music for babies.
Music and Baby | The Soundtrack to Your Baby's Healthy Growth
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Freddy teaching PJ how to use the hand drum at our local free Music in the Park. We took a mat and the boys loved it.[/caption]Did you know that music benefits babies? And can make you and your baby more joyful while boosting brain development?
From birth, parents naturally use music to calm and lighten babies, communicate love and satisfaction, and draw in and interact. Furthermore, you can expand on these natural instincts by figuring out how music can benefit your kid's development, improve social skills, and deliver emotional support. Plus it's a great way to have fun.
The Music benefits Babies
Besides an early appreciation of music, here are some of the wide range of cognitive, developmental, and emotional benefits of listening to music for babies.
Get an Early Start: Music in The Womb
It is demonstrated that music has a role in mental health even before birth. Tuning in to music during pregnancy has an alleviating and relaxing impact on Mamas. Additionally it also has a positive effect on your unborn baby. Your unborn baby can perceive her mum's voice, her local language, word patterns, and rhymes.
Music and The Baby Brain
A study found that musical experiences in childhood can really quicken brain development, especially in language. [1] Neuroscientists who study babies say music has enduring advantages. Music has a significant effect on the baby's mind. [2] One examination from the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences identified that babies auditory and prefrontal cortexes appear to be different with exposure to music. These are the areas of the brain responsible for handling both music and speech.
Language Advancement
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Not just for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers also benefit from the motor, neural and social benefits of music.[/caption]Any exposure to language is beneficial for babies, mainly through an accessible activity like listening and making music. Singing can even provoke children to chime in, in their own little way... Research shows that babbling efforts—even if it's gibberish—are beneficial for babies' minds and improving language development.
Music Improves Learning
From the beginning, children can hear the difference between various kinds of sounds. After only a couple of weeks, an infant can recognize their mum's voice from other people's. This means exposure to music assists a child's natural capacity to disentangle sounds and words. Therefore, by singing nursery rhymes to your little one, you can help them distinguish sound patterns and learn through reiteration.
Close Harmony
Playing with your baby along side music is an easy and effective way to build your relationship. Playing music with your baby triggers the arrival of oxytocin - the "bonding" hormone also delivered during nursing. Finally, babies who move rhythmically to music smile more, are easier to soothe and are more able to study their environment than babies who only listen.
Wrapping Up!
Regardless of how you decide to include music into your baby's life, it has added neurological benefits but more importantly it is soothing, fun and an incredible way to bond.
References
- 2016 study at the University of Southern California's Brain and Creativity Institute
- https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/113/19/5212.full.pdf