1. Time Short? - Singing to your baby gives you twice the positive effects in half the time. Studies have shown shared music making creates double the amount of oxytocin release in comparison to verbal communication. Oxytocin is a bonding hormone which creates feelings of love and trust.
2. It benefits your mental health too - Singing causes a release in oxytocin and endorphins which assists in lowering stress and pumping your body full of feel good hormones. It is also a mindfulness practice which assists in lowering breath rate and heart rate when stressed.
3. Your little one likely heard their very first sound at 18 weeks in utero. This means your baby heard your voice well before they entered the world. Once they’ve arrived, babies will use their hearing as a way to learn and navigate the world.
4. Singing or Spotify? – In this age of technology, it may feel easier to stop singing and start a playlist. However, all the other benefits listed here won’t be achieved! There is a time and place for hitting play. But please, where possible, use your voice.
5. Mirror, Mirror - Mirror neurons fire when we both do an action and when we watch others do a similar action. When we like someone, we are more likely to subconsciously mirror their gestures and movements. Well, your baby is over the moon about you! So, when your baby watches you sing, they will start to attempt to mirror you. This can assist with their development of language, motor sequencing and empathy.
6. The most important voice to a baby is their mum, dad or caregivers! You don’t have to be a great singer either. To your baby, you will always sound like Mariah Carey or Ed Sheeran!
7. Please stop crying! – Did you know that singing to your baby is shown to reduce crying and improve parent-infant bonding. The same effect was not found when babies were given recorded music to settle.
8. Ward off a cold - Did you know that singing can physiologically improve your immune system? Studies have shown that singers have higher levels of the protein Immunoglobulin A, an antibody which benefits the immune system. Research has also showed that the increased airflow involved in singing also helps to ward off respiratory illnesses.
9. Are you sick of children’s songs? No problem - The most important thing about lullabies is the tempo and the dynamic at which they are sung. The tempo of lullabies typically sits at around 60 beats per minute which… surprise surprise… is the same tempo of a calm resting heartbeat. There is nothing stopping you from picking your favourite song and singing it acapella (without backing). Just remember SSQ - Slow, Smooth, Quiet.
10. It’s all about me! – Between 5 and 7 months most babies learn that their name refers to themselves. Babies love hearing their name incorporated into songs. Try replacing the lyrics to any lullaby. For Example, to the tune ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ – ‘Hello Molly, I love you. Molly, Molly, I love you. Hello Molly, Hi to you. Hello Molly, Hi to you. Hello Molly, I love you. Molly, Molly, I love you.’ Now your baby knows that your attention is completely on them and hey we all love a bit of attention.
I hope these 10 reasons have helped convince you to sing more to your baby. We are sadly often told at a young age that we are or aren’t ‘good’ at singing. This can often prevent us from having the confidence to sing to our children. So take a deep breath, sing loud, sing proud and don’t pass any fear of singing on to them. No matter what you sound like, their love for you and your voice is the same.
Interested in joining our Lullaby Group?
It is an 8 week program where you will develop and record a unique lullaby for your baby!
Check out more here: Lullaby Group
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