Parenting Playlist: Music To Help Children Focus
Ok. Put on your seat belts. I’m going to take us back in time to the 1990s. Remember everyone’s favorite purple dinosaur? Perhaps not everyone’s favorite, but I bet you remember his Clean Up song! I used that song constantly with my two sons as they were growing up. It was magic. MAGIC, I tell you! No fussing, no arguing (most of the time!). As soon as I starting singing, they started helping and toys were put away. Don’t be fooled friends – the real magic when Mary Poppins had the Banks children clean their room wasn’t a spoon full of sugar…it was a song about a spoon full of sugar. A doctor singing to his infant patient to help distract him…after delivering some shots. The Clean Up Song! So I was thinking…why not have a playlist…a parenting playlist that helped a child mark the various parts of the day? We use lullabies for bed time…why not use music to focus other important daily events? Once upon a time, that would have been very difficult, as our music was less portable. But now? You could actually create a playlist on your phone and have it with you at all times! Connecting music with certain daily activities provides an aural signal that goes beyond words. You can easily create a playlist that would focus a child and involve them in an aspect of preparation for any activity. Think of the music as an overture. As mentioned in a previous post, you hear Take Me Out to the Ball Game at the ball park and you stand up to stretch. You tell me…when you here this – you start looking around for sharks, don’t you? I’d probably not use that in my playlist for the kiddos.
Here are some more appropriate suggestions from our collection of music used in Kindermusik classes worldwide – all available at the Play Kindermusik site.
The Parenting Playlist
Now…having a playlist is great, but it’s made even greater if you sing along. If you sing (and trust me, you can sing) you child will imitate.
Time to wake up
What could be better than a classic like You are my Sunshine? Here it is from our Rise and Shine collection:
What about the Beatles Here Comes the Sun, or perhaps a piece of classic music, like Mozart’s Eine kleine Nacht Musik (A Little Night Music – which I always thought was a bit bright for nighttime).
It’s time to eat
Let’s get some food in that belly. I’ve been humming this one around the house, causing questioning smiles from my wife. What can I say – it’s catchy! Here’s Food is Good from our Yum album:
You can be creative with this one. There’s a great Bare Naked Ladies tune from their children’s album, Snacktime! Take a listen to Food Party. And can we take a minute to mention how awesome it is that BNL recorded a kids album?
Travel
Need to get in the car? Gotta make a stop at the pharmacy or pick up the older sibling? How about This Little Car from Zoom!
There are countless songs and pieces of music that can work here. Use your imagination. What about the William Tell Overture? You can make it a game – race (safely) to see who can get ready to go first!
Playtime
Time to move, friends. Maybe time to go outside and run, dance, and jump! Well…I think another classic ought to do it…Ring Around the Rosey from our Playtime collection.
Remember, just about anything will work. I actually would use the Gloria movement from Ariel Ramirez’s Missa Criolla to get my oldest ready for bed, despite the fact that it is up tempo. He loved being swung around the room to the latin rhythms and when the slow section came up, we’d head back to his bedroom. he was ready. Once you associate a song with an activity, your child will pick up the association very quickly.
Creativity is Key
I hope this has provided you with some ideas. Go crazy. Try different songs until you find the mix that works well for your child. Everyone responds differently. Maybe there is a song from your Kindermusik classes that rings true with your kiddo; maybe you haven’t tried out a class to find out! Regardless, I want to know how this works for you! Tell us about your playlists! Email me at [email protected]. Share your parenting playlist with the Kindermusik family.
