As a parent, introducing your kids to new aspects of the world is one of the greatest thrills. That could mean taking them to a new place, teaching them how to play a sport, or even just playing one of your favorite board games together as a family. Watching them grow from a completely dependent infant into an independent, curious, capable young person is an experience that defies description.
To be sure, music can and should play a notable role in this development process. There are many benefits associated with sharing music with your kids, including some that are pretty obvious and some that may surprise you. Whether you do it to aid their development or just because it’s a good time, bringing quality music to your kids is always worth the effort. So, what are the benefits of music to children? Let’s take a closer look below.
It’s easy to get caught up in the technical aspects of why you should share music with your kids, and we will highlight some of those below. But even if you don’t want to get into those points or you don’t find them particularly compelling, it’s still worth sharing music with your kids just because of the bond it can develop between parent and child.
When you listen to music together, it’s amazing how everyone can instantly be put into a better mood. You may find yourselves singing along, dancing, and just having a great time as a family. Even strong, engaged families can find themselves drifting apart from time to time through the normal busyness of day-to-day life, so listening to music with intention is a great way to slow things down and connect once again. Anytime you feel like things around the house are getting a little stale or you are having a hard time grabbing your child’s attention, put on some music, have a little dance party, and suddenly things will be back on track.
For many children, the world is pretty narrow early in life. Left to their own devices, children tend to go back to the same few things over and over again as they find comfort and familiarity in their favorites. As an example, if you allow your child to always pick the television show they get to watch, you can be sure it will be mostly the same show over and over again. Only when you get involved in the process and actively make suggestions will you see them open up and explore new options.
Music works the same way. Sharing new music with your kids—even if they aren’t particularly interested at first—is a great way to expand their horizons and open up young minds. You never know what type of music will wind up making a connection and becoming something that they love for years to come or even for a lifetime. Even something as simple as trying different types of preschool music can wind up having a big impact.
As adults, we are all aware of how emotional music can be. The emotions contained in songs (and released as a result of listening to those songs) are a big part of what people like so much about music and why it plays such a major role in so many lives. Music for kids might not be as outwardly emotional as some of the music marketed for adults, but it can have a similar effect.
Commonly, songs that are meant for an adult audience pull at the heartstrings, evoking deep emotions, and often not ones that are considered positive. Consider the vast number of “heartbreak-style” songs that have gained popularity over the generations. For children, however, the emotions that are pulled out tend to be more positive and uplifting. It could be the happiness that comes from hearing a fun, interesting beat, or it could be the excitement of experiencing something new and trying to learn about it. Allowing your child to explore these emotions through music is another way that you might wind up helping them foster a life-long love of songs.
Your children aren’t going to like each and every song you decide to play for them. In fact, there is a good chance they’ll turn the other way on a fair number of the songs or even entire genres of music. And that’s okay—in fact, it’s an opportunity for learning and growth. Music for kids shouldn’t be painted into a corner or limited to a simplistic, repetitive pattern. Something we take great pride in at Go Fish is breaking out of those boundaries and creating innovative, interesting music for children so they can be exposed to new sounds and establish their own tastes along the way.
One of the best lessons a young person can pick up in life is that everyone has different opinions, tastes, and preferences—and they are all valid. Rather than presenting one type of music as the “best” or as “real” music, do your best to expose your children to varied music styles without value or judgment attached. Allow the children to develop their own opinions about the music, and share with them how you feel as well. When you like something that they don’t, or vice versa, you can use it as a teaching moment to explain that it’s okay to like different things, and no one is right or wrong in such a situation.
As your child listens to various types of music and hears new instruments, it’s likely that they will want to get involved in some way. That could mean formally taking lessons to learn an instrument, or it could just mean playing around and trying to mimic the sounds in their favorite songs. Either way, the music will have been a catalyst in the process of helping them develop some new skills and abilities at a young age.
Millions of young people have developed their earliest music skills by playing Bible songs for kids in church. Kids’ Christian music contains a life-giving message, of course, and exposing your kids to that message might be your primary motivation at the time. But there are musical skills to be uncovered in those songs as well, so the development of those skills is a wonderful byproduct of the process. Remember, your child doesn’t need to grow up to be a serious musician for those skills to be worthwhile—there is coordination and rhythm learned at this stage that will be useful no matter what activities are pursued later in life.
When looking for listening options that will please kids and adults alike, take a moment to check out what we offer here at Go Fish. With a collection of Christian and secular songs that young people will love—but that won’t drive adults crazy—we think the Go Fish library of music will be a lasting source of enjoyment for your family. Take a moment today to find us on Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube to see what we are all about. Thank you in advance for listening to Go Fish!
