If surveyed, most of you would probably say I’m a pretty confident person. I would agree most of the time. The area where I have the most self-doubt though, is in my parenting skills. There is always that nagging thought in the back of my head – am I doing too much? too little? am I allowing them the independence to grow? am I giving them enough guidance? On and on it goes. I think, if most mothers are honest, we all do this to some degree. Recently, Miss Amy, a Kindermusik educator in another part of the country was asked by a very concerned parent how said parent could keep her child musically motivated. The following article was written by Miss Amy with input from several other Kindermusik educators and her own research. I am posting it here because there are some great tips to try at home. I am NOT posting it to make anyone feel guilty. Parenting, much like our Kindermusik community, is a process, not a performance.
"Musical Motivation" for children and their grown-ups How can we help our children keep building their interest and love of music? Here are a few ideas you can use at home—much will depend on the ages of your children, and some will apply better to certain ages. Basically, just as elementary school teachers suggest "littering your house with books" to encourage young children's reading and enjoyment of reading, I would say, "litter your house with music"! That is, put it all around your house and family, so it becomes an important part of your everyday life. --Use your home materials; use your family activity book in Our Time for activities to do at home; do the "bring to class" projects in Imagine That and the at-home activities in Young Child; practice with your child so he can feel successful playing in class. Let your child teach you how to play a song she is learning to play. Sometimes it's rewarding for your child when you let her start from the beginning, remind you how to hold your mallets, point out the notes you miss, and so on. This also helps her to learn they don't need to be perfect when even grown-ups forget things and make mistakes. --Sing, dance, and play music at home--often--Kindermusik CDs, other good children's music, your own favorite "family appropriate" singers and musicians. Make it a fun part of your family's day as often as possible. Remind children that the music we make by singing and playing instruments is also "real music"—not just what comes out of the CD player! --Listen to a wide variety of music--classical, folk, country, jazz, a bit of rock and pop, music from other countries. Borrow some CDs from the library with out-of-the-ordinary music to find out what you and your family like. --Create a "music basket" for your family, and put in your egg shakers, zig zag blocks, fiddlesticks, resonator bars, slide whistles, drums, tambourines, and any other music-making objects you can find. Even make a few of your own! Put it in the same room with a CD player so it's easy to put on some music and march, dance, and play--often. Try to avoid the temptation to ask your children to "not make so much noise"
Of course, some instruments, like slide whistles and loud drums, make great basement and outdoor "parade" instruments! --When you get to Imagine That and Young Child, keep your child's current instrument and bag very handy for them to get out. Yes, sometimes that means you'll get to class without your slide whistle, drum, book, folder, or glockenspiel--but it's so much better to actually use them during the week--and your child can share with a friend or use a spare from his teacher in class. --If you--Mom or Dad--play an instrument, play it for and with your child. It doesn't matter if you last played it in junior high and it's been in the attic since then. Children enjoy hearing it because: A--it's a real instrument, not just the sound of one on CD, and B--it's Mom or Dad playing it. Ask other family members to share whatever they may play--maybe Grandpa plays a bit of piano, Grandma plays the accordion, or Uncle Joe plays the balalaika (or whatever :- ) ). It's a great way to share your family's culture and history as well as music, and often others will not think anyone would want to hear them unless they're asked. --If you have older children, or older cousins, have a family music night where everybody plays something--whatever instrument they're learning to play, or sing a song. Have everybody join in for a sing- a-long and/or "family jam" with all those instruments from the music basket. --If you have relatives and friends with older children, go to some middle school and high school concerts. They're cheap, usually free, and children can hear others who are still learning to play and sing. High school musicians are often very accomplished already. Find out what your local high school is performing for a spring play or musical. Look for local productions of ballet, like The Nutcracker at Christmastime. --Look for family concerts and events in your area. I know this is harder in smaller communities, but maybe you can sometimes make it a special event on a trip to a larger city. Orchestras, bands, choirs, parades, theater, ballet, puppet shows, children's performers, summer concerts in the park...the list is almost endless. --If you're not ready to invest in a piano, look for an electronic keyboard--one that is more than a kids' toy without being a huge investment. Put it in a place where your child can easily play it (not "play with it") and explore it--simply expect them to treat it kindly and gently--playing with fingers, not fists or feet, not putting food or drinks near it, and so on. You could even consider looking for a used child-size violin or guitar--not to start lessons on it, just to explore and play. --Try to avoid the temptation to rush into formal lessons—there is plenty of time for this when children are ready. This is a wonderful reason to continue in Imagine That and Young Child classes even when children are in school. We continue to keep the focus on process, not on performance, while we build our singing skills, instrument playing, ensemble playing, and even music reading and composing. We also weave in lots of movement, story-telling, and imagination to keep it age- and developmentally appropriate. Happy music-making—and may your home be littered with music! —Amy Brewer Kindermusik and early childhood educator
