Music & Bonds

Latest Posts • May 31st 2021

Music calms, music stimulates and music connects. The sense of hearing is the first sense to be developed in the womb. The voices of parents and siblings convey a sense of security and the mother’s heartbeat is the rhythm of the beginning of life. These sounds also promote our development, especially the development of the brain. And even after birth, the sounds that surround us, also in the form of music, play an important role.

How musicality strengthens bonds and enriches lives

Musical experiences enrich our children’s lives from their first listening experiences in the womb. Singing and speaking with and for your child promotes bonding and reduces stress and anxiety. We can calm or activate infants with our voices. Music helps regulate emotions.

Babies who are not crying out from hunger or because of a full diaper can often be soothed by singing. The baby listens attentively, the little body relaxes, the eyelids close slowly but surely. And for the parents the first notes of their own singing have a relaxing effect as well. It doesn’t matter whether the singer hits every note.

As already mentioned in my book Unleash the Secret of Education and Learn How to Raise a Happy Child, I can only keep encouraging parents to sing with and for their children, even if they don’t consider themselves good singers. The children will love it anyway. In addition, it is important to keep singing together as the children grow older. Many parents sing to their children in infancy and even a little bit in toddlerhood, and then at some point they don’t sing at all. Singing together can create a wonderful bond. So turn up your favorite song on the next car trip and sing along with your whole family.

By the way, for infants and the calming effect of singing, it doesn’t matter whether singing is done in the familiar mother tongue or in a foreign language.

In an experiment at the University of Montreal, scientists found out that a nursery rhyme calmed babies for a longer period of time than their mother’s coaxing – regardless of what language it was in.

Actually, this experimental result is hardly surprising. After all, when we sing, our body produces mood-boosting hormones. At the same time, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced. And anyone who has experienced that singing can put you in a good mood will have this experience available as a resource for a lifetime.

In our Kling-Klong courses, we experience these positive effects of making music together on a daily basis. Simple songs, rhythms and movement to music can also be easily integrated into everyday (family) life and quickly counteract boredom or a tense mood. In this way, music strengthens the feeling of trust and security and thus the bond between family members.

In addition, musical activity can promote certain developments. For example, it can have a positive effect on the ability to concentrate and regulate yourself.

Music as a joyful experience

In order to take advantage of the positive effects of music on the parent-child relationship and on the development of the child, it is important that music is accompanied by fun. If there is pressure and stress behind it, for example because a child is pushed to practice an instrument every day, the bonding element is missing. Because what is essential is the positive devotion that goes hand in hand with the music.

Music is able to
• relax
• stabilize
• help you fall asleep
• help calm and regular breathing
• promote a better self-awareness
• help make contact with people

Conclusion

Music is not only fun, it is also a great enrichment and can be supportive in building bonds and learning how to self-regulate. In one of the upcoming blogpost, I have a few tips on how to easily integrate more music into everyday family life.

2022-03-14T09:39:03+00:00May 31st, 2021|

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