Using Music To Calm Your Baby
by: Emanuele Accenti
Music is a wonderful way for you to calm and soothe your baby, especially
during the first year. How many times have your heard parents say that there
was nothing that they could do with their crying, fussing baby until they tried
music. This is because music does indeed soothe the savage beast, or in this
case, the baby.
There are certain distinct sounds that
have been proven to calm even fussy babies: the sounds of nature, white noise,
and music. Even if your baby isn’t
fussing or crying you may want to use music as often as you can to encourage
that feeling of calm and peacefulness. All it takes is a few minutes every
day and before you know it your baby will be looking forward to hearing that
certain song emanating from the CD player.
There is nothing complicated or mysterious
about introducing your baby to music from day one. You don’t need to search for the perfect song or
a certain type of music. All you have to do is start by having your baby listen
to your favorite songs and music. If jazz is on the top of your list, let your
baby listen to the sounds of John Coltrane as he sits in his baby seat watching
you in the kitchen. It doesn’t matter if you play the schmaltzy songs
of the eighties or some wicked African beat, your baby is going to listen and
his mood is going to be altered by any musical sound that he hears.
Besides the music that you yourself can introduce your baby to, there are
hundreds of CDs on the market today that are filled with baby songs and lullabies.
At the end of the day you may want to play a CD of quiet baby songs that have
a slower beat. There are so many CDs for you to choose from that you will have
a hard time making up your mind. Choose something that interests you. Many
baby CDs will have lullabies and faster beat songs on the same CD.
Playing music has other benefits besides soothing your fussy, crying baby.
These benefits include:
- Babies are introduced to musical sounds.
- Music enhances your baby’s behavior
and cognitive skills.
- Relieves stress for the entire family.
- Will stimulate curiosity and an interest in music.
Take time to find a variety of music CDs
for your baby to listen to. You’ll
soon notice which music your baby is most drawn to and can use that music when
he is particularly fussy or is crying. |
