Kindermusik Parenting Through Music: Part 3

Spotlight on Learning: Village

Lifting. Squatting. Twirling. Bending. Whew! Sometimes Kindermusik class feels more like a workout than, well, a workout. Okay, maybe not P90x, but still! While you are building muscles each week, your child is building early language skills.

When you lift her high "up, up in the sky" or "twirl around like a leaf" while singing the songs in class, you help your little one learn the word and understand the concept. Pre-readers rely almost exclusively on what they hear in order to acquire language. Your child's brain makes a connection based on what she experiences (being lifted high or twirling around) and hears ("up" or "twirl"). Later, she will discover those words correspond to marks on a page which eventually leads to letter recognition and reading. Just think how toned your arms will be then!

Everyday connection: Play that fun-key music. Listen and move to music that combines key vocabulary with a movement or activity. "Up, Up In The Sky" and "Like a Leaf or a Feather" are familiar choices. Visit play.kindermusik.com for more favorites, like "I Roll the Ball to You." Try mixing in your tunes, too. "Dancing Queen" anyone?

Kindermusik: Parenting through Music (Part 2)

Spotlight on Parenting: Village

Have you ever heard someone say, "You need to learn how to relax"? Well, they were right. Relaxing is a learned behavior that even the youngest child can begin developing.

In Kindermusik, we include a quiet time specifically designed to learn and practice relaxation techniques, such as rocking, listening to soothing music, or snuggling a favorite stuffed animal. Your child's world can be full of stimulating experiences. Teaching her how to relax after a period of activity gives her time to recoup and prepares her for what's next.

An added bonus: Children who know how to relax and self-soothe can be better sleepers. (Although, you might still wish for a visit from the Sleep Nanny at 2:34 am!)

Everyday connection:

Forget about a "play list."  Make a "relax list" in iTunes. When your child needs to wind down for naptime or bedtime, play songs like "Sleep, My Little Bird" and "Wild Geese Are Flying."  Eventually, she will begin responding to the musical cues and the relaxation techniques from class and ... well ... relax. You will, too! Let music make bedtime easier.

Kindermusik: Parenting Through Music (Part 1)

Spotlight on Learning: Village Class (ages newborn - 18 months)

By exploring with sound, babies and young toddlers practice their visual thinking skills or spatial-reasoning skills. Good visual thinking skills are essential for a child to later excel in math, science, and geography. We spend time in Kindermusik doing this together by playing different instruments and experimenting with lots of sounds, such as the different bird calls we "sing" together. In fact, children participating in Kindermusik tripled spatial-reasoning skills during a recent research project.

Everyday connection:
Be a Sound Explorer with your child. How many different sounds can a bath book, baby spoon, and Kindermusik Chime Ball make? Does a sippy cup with milk make the same sound as a sippy cup filled with cereal? What items on your changing table make sounds that can entertain your baby during a diaper change?

Kindermusik 24/7

Kindermusik is so much more than just a 45 minute class once a week. That's what makes us special. We believe in taking that experience home with you every day. Here's some great ways to do it:
*Morning Routines are easier with songs and fingerplays.
*Play time becomes inspired and interactive with new ideas and favourite instruments from the Home Materials.
*A visit to the zoo or park becomes a part of a happy and indelible childhood memory when experienced while singing songs they have learned in class.
*Car rides become more bearable and enriching with a favourite Kindermusik CD
*Nap time turns into cuddle time with a little bit of rocking and/or a "quiet time" playlist on the iPod.
*The worst part of the day is calmed with a touch of the button on the CD player or iPod.
*Kindermusik brings the whole family together for a spontaneous dance or play-along at home.
*Bedtime becomes a time of emotional connection and ritual that becomes a life-long memory.

Let's Get Our Hands Dirty!

I'm a neat freak. I'll admit I REALLY struggled with letting my son get dirty.  Whether it be in the kitchen with his dinner or outside in the dirt. Spring used to be a pretty stressful time for me with all that mud everywhere. It took until after his 3rd birthday for me to embrace the inevitable stained knees and the mystery goo that I'd pull from his hair. I realized I was holding him back from truly discovering the world around him. You can always buy new clothes, but you can't buy experience....especially for a growing child. Here's a great article about just that:
Lion's Whiskers: Let's Talk Dirty: "I am a gardener. I get dirty. I often wear dark nail polish in the summer to hide how unscrubbably grimy my fingernails have become. And t..."

Quality Time with Your Kids Made Easy

Working full-time with opposing shifts to my husband's, commuting long distances, taking care of the house and getting all the shopping done is pretty daunting in itself. The worst part about it all was that I constantly felt guilty that I wasn't spending enough quality time with my son. I'd be so exhausted from the day that my mind would be mush and I couldn't muster the energy to really do anything imaginative and fun with Max. I'm a fairly creative person and it was killing me that I couldn't think of anything to stimulate my son's development and growth. Even basic nursery rhymes I was drawing a blank.
Kindermusik changed all that for me. When I started to research the program about a year ago, I was continuously impressed with the broad scope of materials and activities that are presented in each curriculum without it becoming overwhelming for the children and their parents. When I decided to become an instructor myself, my little Max was my guinea pig;) I was astonished at how quickly he latched on to the songs and exercises. Especially seeing as he never really showed an interest in music before. He was always too busy running around making engine noises to really pay attention to music. In just a few short weeks, he went from running around with a near zero attention span to attentively listening and participating in the songs and activities. It was amazing.
It's been a delight because it's just sooo easy. The curriculum is pure fun and filled with creative ways and suggestions for parents to interact with their children that they maybe hadn't thought of before. There's a whole host of songs, rhymes, stories and learning exercises that make quality time with your child simple and meaningful.