Studies suggest that babies can begin to remember music from as early as being in the womb. Just as your little one knows your voice before they are even born, they have lots of extra listening time for all your favourite hits. So what can playing music for your baby do for their development? Keep scrolling to find out why a little bit of music goes a long way!
The Happiness Hormone
When we listen to music, we release endorphins which are known as the ‘happiness hormone’. This promotes feelings of well-being, a reduction in stress and can improve your overall mood. If you have a fussy baby who won’t settle, familiar music is a great tool for wavering their worries. Social media is full of videos of crying babies suddenly soothed by unexpected music moguls such as Metallica or Beyonce, but it doesn’t happen by chance! If mom or dad has a penchant for rock bands or superstars it's likely that baby will too, since they’ve been busy listening backstage for 9 months. Creating a playlist of your favourite songs and actively playing music whilst pregnant may mean that when your baby is born they may arrive preloaded with exquisite music taste! By beginning to talk to your baby whilst they are in the womb, you can reduce cortisol (stress hormone) and increase oxytocin (bonding hormone) by creating a unique auditory pathway between you and your baby. And with a little bit of music thrown in, you can help raise a happy, stress free baby who is a big fan of you and your music taste. So stick out ‘Baby Shark’ for a few more sessions, we promise it's worth it!
Brain Development
There is evidence that babies who have music played to them develop various areas of their brain faster than those who do not. This is because music helps activate the auditory and prefrontal cortexes of the brain. The auditory cortex enables your baby to hear and interpret speech, whilst the prefrontal cortex, in summary, develops your baby’s own unique personality. While there is a ‘Mozart’ effect theory that classical music will lead to a brainier baby - a baby will most likely respond to music they have heard before and music they like. Since you and your baby share a gene or two, you should play music that you like as you may just have similar taste. It may also save you a few headaches!
Memory Building
Repeat, repeat and repeat again! Many of us learn by repetition, and it's no different when it comes to music, or your little one. The same rhythm and lyrics help your baby notice patterns and increase their ability to recall beats and the words that match. There’s a reason Twinkle Twinkle Little Star has travelled through time! Recalling lyrics and humming the music is beneficial to your baby’s memory and cognitive activity which can help them when it comes to learning in the future. Those school tests may seem a long way a way, but one day all those car singalongs will help grow a music-loving baby into an exam-aceing expert!
Language Launcher
Playing music for your baby and singing along can encourage their speech. Babies love to watch their parents and others with great intent, soaking in all their facial reactions and often trying to mimic their mouths. By frequently playing the same music your baby will begin to become accustomed to the words, just like they will to your futile attempts at hearing ‘Mommy’ first! Music motivates your baby to make movements with their mouths and try to emulate speech. It may start off as a few gargles, but pretty soon those little lips might start making sense. And who knows, when they start singing along, they may just have the voice of an angel!
Sensory Sensation & Socialising
While there may be a lot of wiggling, followed by bum shuffling as they grow older, kids can benefit from music in the form of dance to improve their mobility and sociality. Music acts as a complete sensory sensation, the different sounds in the music are all brand new to your little one and they’ll love taking it all in and may want to move along to the music! You can help them along by introducing some instruments too - such as a xylophone, tambourine or maracas. If you haven’t any to hand, you can create some homemade versions! Starting off with some simple clapping to the beat of your favourite songs is a great way to hold your babies attention and to get them involved and moving. As adults, we know that music is a very social activity that bonds us with others. When your baby is comfortable with music, they’ll enjoy listening to it with others and become confident in their company which will further aid their social skills.
Aside from the obvious benefits of playing music for your baby, it will be a key milestone in their memory make-up as they will recall songs you have played for them as they get older. Before baby arrives, or when they get here pull together a soundtrack of your life so far so they can fall in love with all your favourite songs the way you did! It won’t be long until Miss Rachel becomes the background music to your day to day, so make sure to enjoy the hits while they’re still playing!
To learn more about things you can do to enhance your baby’s growth and learning, read our blogs below.
