I have found that if I have MANY movement songs to choose from, I can customize what I need for the situation and increase the chances for success.
How to Use Music in a Bedtime Routine
10 Relaxing Songs for Kids
I keep finding myself sifting through music for songs to help my 4-year-old feel more relaxed. There's something about this time of year (new school year, new routine) that tends to trigger stress. We've been using a lot of music. I know music is my "thing", but as a parent, I'm so incredibly grateful for it. It can halt escalating emotions and take them in a completely different direction.
10 Songs for Community & Friendship
10 Songs for Dancing with Kids Ages 0 - 6
Calming a Crying Baby (A Music Therapist's Method)
We had some weekend visitors stay at our house not too long ago and they brought their sweet 18-month old. He was sick, missed a nap and was overstimulated after a long day in the sun. Predictably, he had a rough time calming down for a nap. Before long, it escalated to him being completely inconsolable. Within minutes, he was fast asleep. The method I used is something I've used time and time again with music therapy clients and my own daughter.
10 Music Activities for Kids {for calming, cheering up, wiggles & encouragement}
The music therapist in me has a pretty big {and useful} toolbox at my disposal. My 4-year-old is running circles around the house yelling that she's bored? I have a song for that! The neighbor kids are over, it's too hot to go outside and the volume is at an ELEVEN? Time to pull out anything and everything I have!
Over the years, there have been some stand-out winners in my toolbox. So here they are, for you to try in your own home.
Using Music to Help Kids With Transitions
Kids are wired to test boundaries. It's vital to their development and it helps them build the oh-so-important skill of independent thinking. (Well-behaved women rarely make history, right?) Even though we want our kids to learn to think freely and stand up for themselves, the way that it is expressed in that teeny, tiny 2-5 year-old body can be equally perplexing and exhausting.
Helping kids calm, WAKE UP or sleep with music
Imagine for a moment... it's Saturday morning. The house is dark and quiet and you've miraculously been able to sleep in until 9am.
(I'll let you stay in that dreamland for a moment.)
It's time to wake up. Music comes on and gently wakes you. It starts very quiet-- so quiet you can barely hear it-- and it gradually gets louder, coaxing you awake. It's music you love. What's your mood?
Now, imagine for a moment... the same scenario. It's Saturday morning in a dark, quiet house and you're blissfully able to sleep until 9am.
It's time to wake up. Then, as if there's a speaker right by your ear, IMMEDIATELY LOUD heavy metal music plays and shocks you out of bed. What's your mood now?
10 Songs for Toddlers
Music can be a powerful tool for a toddler's endless need to move and groove. It can also "hold" those BIG emotions and help them transition to smaller, more manageable emotions. Imagine my own epiphany when my husband (not the music therapist in the family!) discovered that our toddler ate faster and stayed in her seat when he played certain music during meal times. GENIUS.
The possibilities are endless, and we'll cover all of that. For now, let's dive into my very favorite music for toddlers!
