Benefit of Singing to Your Baby
If you’re wondering how music can have an affect on your baby just think of how it affects you. Music and songs can lift our mood, make us happy when we’re sad and give us inspiration and strength in times of doubt and struggle. Your baby is no different. Hearing mommy’s or daddy’s voice singing a sweet lullaby is music to his ears and will let him know that someone cares for him. Music has also been shown to help babies and infants fall asleep faster.
Don’t worry that your voice isn’t perfect pitch or if you don’t even know the words to songs. It doesn’t matter. What’s important to the infant is that a human voice is cooing gently to him. In fact, when children are growing up making up songs as you go along is a great way to get him involved in shopping, using the toilet, respecting others and turning mundane tasks into fun sing-along games.
Most of the time singing can help soothe a baby when he’s fussy, having trouble sleeping or just needs to calm down. It can also help relax the parent that is singing. Soft, gentle lullabies are actually strong acts of bonding with your child that will help him develop both mentally and physically. When a baby is cooing or babbling himself the sounds can actually be melodic. He will try to mimic mommy and daddy early on and singing to a child can be a crucial first step in communication skills that will benefit his ability to learn and understand language.
There is no shortage of favorite lullabies to choose from. You can’t help but no the words to “Hush Little Baby”, “Old MacDonald” and “Rock-A-Bye Baby” so don’t hesitate to strike up a song when your baby looks like he could use a smile. Singing and rocking go together so it’s always a good idea to hold your baby when singing to him and gently cradle him to provide a synergistic affect of a soothing voice and gentle handling that will calm his nerves and yours.