I’m hoping you are all well and finding ways to enjoy each other in the midst of all this turmoil.  Many of you may have had your schedules change drastically and are dealing with a lot of pressure. During times of change and stress it is especially important to give your child a sense of structure to help them feel safe and secure. Routines can be a series of activities as in a bedtime routine that includes snack, washing, brushing teeth, changing to pajamas and cuddling for a song or story. Including songs and stories into the routine can help your child make the shift from movement and activity to relaxation and more inner focus. It will also help you to make that shift and allow for a quiet, relaxed moment shared with your child.

Songs and stories can also bring structure to isolated moments within a routine. For your infants, songs and rhymes are wonderful tools to introduce consistent patterns. Begin by finding a comfortable place and position (both for your baby and for you). Take a deep breath and establish a connection with eye contact and physical touch. Use simple rhymes and songs (Mother Goose has some wonderful ones but there are many others and feel free to make up your own). Repeating the same rhymes or songs gives your baby a sense of safety as they begin to anticipate and predict what comes next. Songs and rhymes help develop listening, language and memory skills. They also help your child coordinate on a physical level. From before they’re born, babies naturally move in response to sound, pairing specific movements to specific sounds. Listening to rhythmical phrasing stimulates coordinated sequential movements through their bodies. You can also move your baby as you sing. Use clear, repetitive movements (bringing hands to chest then opening them wide, bringing their feet to their nose). Pair the same song to movements consistently so your baby can anticipate what is coming. Getting clear, repetitive proprioceptive information helps your baby with the formation of a body image. Be sure to include movements that cross midline (touching a toe to the opposite hand as you sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”).  These movements help develop connections from the right and left side of the brain.

Songs combined with finger play and large movement is beneficial for your toddler and preschoolers for many of the same reasons it’s beneficial to babies. It contributes to language acquisition both in vocabulary and in phrasing, develops listening skills, memory and motor skills. Songs like “Itsy Bitsy Spider” help develop fine motor skills. Songs like “The Hokey Pokey” develop gross motor skills and balance. Both develop imitation skills and reinforce the child’s sense of their body image.

Play, sing, read and dance. As much as this is beneficial to your child’s development it is also an opportunity to find joy in sharing time together. To quote one of my son’s favorite books, Dinotopia, “Breath deep, seek peace.”
 
Kathy Sutton
Facilitator for Kids Create 0-3 year old group