Improving Language Skills in Baby

Why Singing to Your Baby Benefits Both the Baby and the Mother

Dec 7, 2008 Jennifer Wagaman

There are many benefits to singing to your baby, both for the baby's language development, and for mom's health.

Even if you cannot hold a tune or have perfect rhythm, both you and your baby can benefit from your singing every day. Singing to your baby will help to build a special bond and will benefit baby's verbal development, even while providing you health benefits. Even if you have to make up the words and create your own tunes, find opportunities each day to add music to your baby's life.

The Benefits of Singing for Baby

First, listening to mom or dad sing will often calm a baby. This may help the baby fall asleep, sooth the baby after a bump, and calm a baby after a fright. Some moms even report that their unborn child will slow it's movements in the womb while listening to mom hum a lullaby or dad sing a song. You need not be able to sing in tune, or even be able to know all the words to a song to sing to your baby.

Introduce various musical genre's to your baby, including classical, Jazz, and anything that you particularly like. Some mom's find that their babies enjoy listening to different music in the car, resulting in less crying while driving. A wide variety of music in a child's life will provide a rich musical environment for the child to grow up in.

Providing an environment rich in different sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and interesting things to see will benefit baby greatly. According to Kidshealth.org, this type of "sensory rich environment ... can forge more pathways between the cells in their brains". Active participation, such as hand motions and sing-alongs, is the best way to encourage baby's development, but simply listening to music can help the process, thus showing how important it is for parents to sing to their babies even before birth.

Singing Benefits for Mom

Scientists at the University of Frankfurt in Germany have done a study showing that singing increases Immunoglobin A, which acts as a natural antibiotic in the body, and hydrocortisone, a stress-reduction hormone [Janice Tuck, The Benefits of Singing to Your Baby, January 2007]. The result is an improved immune system, something that all mothers can benefit from, given the challenges that face them each day.

Talking and singing to your baby every day will give your child a head start on verbal development. Hold conversations with your baby, and sing to them as you complete basic daily tasks. As your baby begins to babble, encourage their efforts at communication.

The copyright of the article Improving Language Skills in Baby in Infants & Toddlers is owned by Jennifer Wagaman. Permission to republish Improving Language Skills in Baby in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Introducing Baby to Music