by Michelle Noonan from Blooming Sounds
Just as Mary Poppins says, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”, music can make parenting so much easier! Somehow instructions sound better when they are sung, resulting in faster compliance than with nagging for sure.
Songs help us remember routines, facts, how to spell, etc. Music helps us change the subject, redirect, change the mood, and self-regulate.
Two great resources on parenting through songs are PBS’s Daniel Tiger and this great post on the Music Together® Worldwide Blog.
My favorites from personal experience are:
- Singing “bad opera” about things left around the house or chores being left undone. I get stress relief for myself and it seems to motivate my child, and husband, in getting it taken care of. Pick it up and the bad opera stops!
- Teaching my child important phone numbers, addresses, etc: I changed the lyrics to a couple of her favorite children’s songs to my cell, my husband’s cell, and my parents’ phone numbers. She was able to recall our numbers at a very young age. Changing up familiar songs also works great for addresses and names.
- Using music to help with transitions: Time to leave the park? Use Daniel Tiger’s “It’s almost time to go, so choose one last thing to do.” song followed by a quick segue into a game of Name That Tune on the way home.
- Using music as a timer: “Let’s cleanup for 3 songs and then take a break.” Music helps pass the time while doing the dreaded chores of picking up around the house, cleaning your room, brushing teeth, thank you Elmo’s Brushy Brush song!, and just about everything else that needs to be done.
Need some tunes to get you started or inspired? Download the Hello Everybody App that is preloaded with 8 Music Together ® favorites. Want even more? Join us for class!
I would love to hear some of your favorite ways you use music to make parenting easier. Please share at info@bloomingsounds.com!
Michelle Noonan is the owner of and lead instructor at Blooming Sounds LLC, an inclusive online music center licensed by Music Together LLC and Canta y Baila Conmigo LLC to provide these amazing early music programs to 0–8-year-olds and their grown-ups, including homeschoolers on the go! Older children are welcome. You can follow Blooming Sounds on Facebook and Instagram. You can reach Michelle at info@bloomingsounds.com.
