How to help your child gain confidence through musical play

We have been asking parents what more they want to know about music and their little boppers, and also asking our staff what they love most about their jobs.

We have put these together for you to provide this week’s tip – how to help your child gain confidence through musical play.

This week, we highlight Miss Serena, our Boppin Babies group leader for Tarragindi / Mt. Gravatt and Bulimba. Serena is a music graduate and currently studying her Masters of Music Therapy.

Serena has formed lovely close relationships with her little boppers, and tells here how her favourite part of the job is watching children gain confidence through their participation in our nurturing musical environment each week.

She especially loves watching them explore and use their voices more and more each week.

She also loves watching the parents respond proudly when their little Bopper participates in new activities, songs and musical games.

https://www.facebook.com/BoppinBabiesAus/videos/10155019281643907/

Sing to your children

One way you can help build confidence in the home is to sing to your children confidently.

You don’t have to be an opera singer like Miss Serena of course, what you children will take away is your confidence to sing.

By modelling this you children learn how to use their voice effectively to communicate both emotion and words.

Infants are able to detect the emotion in musical interactions long before they understand the words.

That is why singing and using music to interact with babies helps build strong bonds and emotional ties.

For toddlers, singing provides us with excellent ways to teach new sounds, play with our voices (so the range, sound, volume) and of course words. You can set up a beautiful nurturing musical environment at home every day!

Here’s a few ideas for this week to try, if you don’t already:

• Sing the hello song when you greet your little bopper in the morning
• Pick two favourite nursery songs to sing while getting breakfast ready. Nursery songs are a great way to reinforce early language development and concept comprehension.
• Personal favourites our Miss Serena recommends include Twinkle Little Star, Incy Wincy and Hickory Dickory Dock
• Read a song book together before nap time
• Have music time in the bath!! The funnest way ever to get clean is to change the words to Farmer in the Dell to “wash the dirty tummy/arm/ body part” and away you go
• Sing the peek a boo song on the change table when you get dressed after the bath
• Sing a favourite lullaby at bed time.

We would love to hear how you go with setting up some lovely musical moments in your day, in addition to the great fun you already have.