Ever get bored with the sound of your own voice? The first few months with your baby can be a lonely and overwhelming time. I remember the pressure I felt at the beginning to keep on talking to my baby, but it was hard. Sometimes I would be so exhausted, I would suddenly realise that I hadn't said a word to him for 10 minutes or more.
And then I would feel guilty:
"What if a Health Visitor had encountered that?!"
"My sister never would have done that with her baby"
"James always seems to have so much energy for him; why can't I?!"
The power of the voice is strong, and there is copious research about the benefits on language development of regular conversation around and with your baby. But does it always have to be talking? Singing is a wonderful way of engaging with your child, and - believe it or not - it takes far less effort to sing than talk.
I would often put a CD on when at home with my baby and quickly found that singing along would mean that I had a 'conversation' for my baby which lasted as long as the CD did. No more struggling to come up with a talking topic. The rhythms from music can be soothing as well as strengthen the brain's understanding of language content and structure, which is important for children at an early age. I also found that singing whilst holding my baby would be a soothing sound for him (and me!) as the vibrations from singing are longer than those from talking, so the baby feels a sense of security from the physical reaction to a sustained vibration.
I'm not talking about X-factor singing, or anything that needs to sound impressive to others around you. I'm talking about personal, beautiful vibrations that help to build a connection with your baby. Your baby has been learning your voice from the first day of their growth inside the womb - by vibration rather than by hearing - so therefore, it doesn't matter what your singing sounds like. It's coming from you: your voice, your body, your heart.
When your baby starts to communicate with you vocally, you may notice that they begin to 'sing' before they really start to talk. It obviously means something to them. So keep singing, engaging with your baby, and helping their beautiful little brains to grow and develop in a natural and musical way.
And it's not all just about nursery rhymes! Why not sing the songs that YOU like? And it doesn't have to be alone. Singing together is a wonderful way to enhance your own feeling of self-esteem and energy. There are many singing groups out there, including my very own Mums Chorus, a place for mums to come with their babies and enjoy singing together, while babies can play with toys and books, and soak up the musical vibes! We meet on Thursdays at 1:45-2:45pm at St Mary's Church Hall in Ware.
https://www.facebook.com/mumschorusherts/
