Music is part of our daily lives and, for many people, it is indispensable. In these cases, it ends up being an escape valve and a great pleasure. Thus, bringing benefits to well-being and even providing relief from some tensions.
However, music is not only beneficial to adults. Otherwise, it can also be positive for children and babies. Understand better how it works:
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What are the benefits of music for babies and children?
Music is an intriguing art form and has been extensively researched in the fields of psychology and medicine.
Nowadays, it is known that music can move not only with sound perception, but also with several other areas of the brain – such as the motor area, for example.
With that in mind, it is not difficult to understand why music can bring some benefits to the development of babies and young children, is it not?
In this sense, some research shows that exposure to music helps in the activation of certain areas of the brain that assist in the child’s development. Therefore, music can not only be an art form, but also a real ally in baby’s growth!
In addition, it can be so beneficial for the child’s development that there are even children ‘s music classes , which help children to become familiar with this form of expression.
Some of the benefits that music can bring to babies and young children are:
Relax and sleep
Calm music helps anyone to sleep, including babies!
If the goal is to help the baby sleep, lullabies sung by the mother or the main caregivers are great options. This is because the mother’s voice has been heard since before the baby was born, and he is very familiar with it.
The caregivers’ voice always reassures the baby , as he knows they are people he trusts. So listening to the voice of a trusted person singing lullabies is a great recipe for a baby to sleep.
And some sounds of calm music (suitable for sleeping) can bring sound vibrations that refer to the uterus, leaving the baby feeling even more safe and comfortable.
Encourage play
Animated songs can stimulate games that assist in cognitive and motor development . However, it should be noted that the songs are not able to do all this work on their own.
For this, it is necessary that the caregivers are stimulating the baby too, making him clap his hands or feet with the rhythm of the music, for example, or singing along and teaching the baby to understand the rhythm of the music.
In this way, the baby gradually assimilates music into moments of pleasure and, even with exercises like this, there is an improvement in the affective bond between caregivers and the baby.
It is worth remembering that music also releases endorphins, a substance known as the “well-being hormone”, which promotes good feelings for children and babies.
Learn new words
Children’s programs are filled with repetitive music for one reason: to assist in language learning .
Do you know when a song sticks in your head and you can’t forget it at all? This happens in children too, which helps them to fix the words learned with children’s songs!
Thus, music not only amuses but also helps children learn to communicate, both through body expression (through dance, rhythmic movements, etc.) as well as through word learning.
Stimulating creativity and imagination
Music is a powerful tool for the baby to gain knowledge of the world, discovering new sounds and new ways of expressing itself, which in turn are the basis of imagination and creativity.
In this way, listening to music can also help the little one to increase his repertoire of behaviors to express what he feels.
Improvements in attention and memory
Some of the cognitive abilities that improve with musicalization are attention and memory.
When the child begins to have a sense of rhythm, for example, he stimulates these two cognitive abilities, which are necessary for him to be able to maintain the rhythm – either by listening, dancing, singing or playing an instrument.
Contact with logical-mathematical thinking
Although many people separate the art from the exact ones, in reality, several arts depend on logical-mathematical reasoning to be realized – music is one of them.
Composed of times, scales, tones and semitones, what exists behind the music is pure applied mathematics.
Therefore, understanding music is inevitably having contact with this type of logic, which can assist in the learning of mathematics and other exact sciences when the child grows up.
When can I put music for the baby to hear in the belly?
Hearing is the first meaning to be formed during pregnancy and, therefore, sound helps the baby’s development from the womb. Therefore, putting music for the baby to hear inside the belly can help to improve this sense even before birth.
The baby begins to listen between the 26th and 30th week of gestation , at which point it is possible to see him responding to the sounds he picks up in the environment. At this point, the mother is encouraged to talk to the baby, so that he gets used to her voice.
Although it is a little more difficult for the baby to hear the noise outside the mother, it is also possible to put music for him to hear.
Some mothers like to put songs and sing to create a bond with the baby, even they can associate these songs to the time of pregnancy, which can generate good memories of this stage of life.
What kind of music to choose for the baby to listen to?
The type of music to be played for the baby to hear depends on its purpose.
If you plan on making it comfortable, safe and relaxed, quiet music with soft instruments can be a good idea. Avoid songs with very high-pitched sounds, as such sounds tend to cause agitation (even in older children).
If you plan to play or dance with the baby, more upbeat music can be a good choice. It is not necessary for them to be children’s songs when the objective is to teach issues such as rhythm and dance, for example.
However, if you would like to introduce new words to your child and help them memorize them, then children’s songs that focus on expanding vocabulary are good alternatives.
Some examples of such songs are those that talk about animals , about nature , about everyday objects , among others. Thus, the child gradually acquires the vocabulary present in these songs and can improve speech.
Music can be a great ally during the development of babies and children, contributing to learning, motor skills and even social interaction
There are even many professionals focused on this line of research and work. So, if you want an even more complete and effective follow-up, it is worth having this support.
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