Music is essential

We have often heard stories about how quickly a baby calmed down when it heard music or singing that it had already listened to while still in its mother’s womb. Research has proven that this is indeed true: the effects of music can be perceived even before birth. In fact, some studies suggest that babies who listened to more than 70 hours of classical music during the final weeks of pregnancy were more advanced by the age of six months than their little peers who had not been exposed to any musical stimulation.

Of course, this is not the main reason to listen to music. Naturally, everyone’s goal is to have a healthy, properly developing baby, and this can almost certainly be achieved without Mozart. But if it can make our child’s life easier, and ours as well, then why not? It will not do any harm. Perhaps the melody they heard first will remain somewhere deep in their mind for their entire life, and one day they will not even know why hearing it makes them feel calm and happy.

We do not necessarily have to listen to classical music either; the important thing is that it should be music that relaxes us and evokes pleasant, cheerful feelings in us. Not only in our baby, but in us adults as well.

With a well-chosen song, we can work wonders. By this, we mean the kind of miracle that happens when we feel we cannot bear the crying, the older children’s tantrums and arguments any longer, yet instead of slamming the door behind us, we are able to think about a solution that works for everyone. This could be a song or piece of music that we put on, start dancing or jumping to, perhaps even singing along with - if that helps… - and then notice that everyone else is joining in too. Suddenly, a very bad afternoon becomes a very good one. We feel liberated and are able to laugh at one another and at ourselves.

The example above also proves that music is perfect for releasing tension. We know it sounds like a scene from a very romantic family comedy, but is there anything better than dancing together in the living room to our favorite music with our child? The best part is that, at times like these, the little ones see us as we feel: free and cheerful. It is well known that living with a parent like that is easier than living with someone who is constantly tired and grumpy. Right?

It is a fact that children develop the most through activities they enjoy, which is why music has a significant effect on developing their skills and personality. In addition, rhythm improves concentration and stamina.

But even if we do not look at it scientifically and simply take examples from our everyday lives, think about how beneficial singing and nursery rhymes are for a baby. We mean simple singing, without any instrumental accompaniment. Even the most intense crying often stops when a baby hears its parents singing - although sometimes they fall silent out of shock, especially in less musical families, but in the end, falling silent is what matters… Joking aside, singing creates an intimate atmosphere in which the parent and young child become much more closely connected.

Music is joy. Let us make sure that it is never a task, but rather a game and entertainment that the little ones can join if they feel like it; if not, they can simply watch and listen to what is happening. It does not matter if our sense of rhythm is not perfect, and it is no problem if our singing voice is so bad that someone else would run away crying, because our children and we will remember only what it felt like to sing and dance together.

Zoltán Kodály said that musical education begins nine months before a baby is born. Then he corrected himself by saying that, in fact, it begins nine months before the mother is born… And how right he was.