I'd like to think that the first 6 months of my daughter's life were only blissful and carefree... nope. It was HARD. She was a preemie with sensory issues that she (mostly) outgrew, but the sight of a ceiling fan could send her into an I-WILL-SCREAM-AND-NOTHING-WILL-CALM-ME meltdown that would eventually send me into my own special kind of meltdown.
It's no coincidence that I am so passionate about helping parents and educators find the right music that can help kids through life's (inevitable) challenges. Being a music therapist who worked with kids with sensory needs set me up to be the ideal parent for my own daughter. The process was FAR from perfect, but we learned a lot together.
Something I didn't expect??? Music helped ME in a miraculous kind of way.
Over time and completely on accident, I assigned myself a song for those big moments of frustration. For those times when you want more than anything to help your child but you can't figure out how. When you can't remember the last time you slept 3 hours in a row and they're up again.
I would sing it and I would sing it LOUD. And for a moment, it would be as loud as my daughter's cries. Often, it would draw in her attention and she would listen, eventually helping her calm, too. But even if it didn't, I could feel my own emotions being expressed through my singing. And the air required to sing loudly would force me to take lots of deep breaths. I could almost immediately feel it reduce my heart rate and help me calm.
My song?
by Frank Sinatra (written by Cole Porter)
Somehow, singing this song helped me put the lyrics at the front of my mind and miraculously gave me just a few more minutes of patience.
I love you... says the gentle breeze
I love you... echoes the hills
I love you... the golden dawn agrees
As once more she sees daffodils
It's spring again
And birds on the wing again
Start to sing again
That old melody
I love you
That's song of songs
And it all belongs to you and me
This song doesn't make its way out much any more, but I think of it fondly because of how much it helped us overcome. Your song is most likely going to be different than mine because an emotional connection to it makes it even more effective. So, I'm dying to hear it... what's your song?
Stephanie
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