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Fun With Music

By Cheri Fuller

I heard a medical doctor say recently that God, knowing that this life was going to have some struggles and hard times, gave us three free gifts: music, nature, and laughter. All three of these are stress-relieving heart-lifters for moms that you can enjoy with your kids, so we’re going to take one of these each month for the next three months of “Mothering By Heart.”

Music develops your child’s brain in many wonderful ways. It enhances cognitive (thinking) skills, motor and creative skills, hand-eye coordination, emotional development, visual, auditory, and language skills, to name a few. Besides all the brain-boosting qualities, music brings a richness to children’s and parents’ lives—a wonder, joy and beauty that are priceless.

Here are some ways to enjoy the joy and benefits of music with your child:

Sing together: When feeding, dressing, walking or driving, sing with your child. Make up your own or use traditional kids’ songs. Sing silly songs too. The words don’t have to make any certain sense; in fact, nonsense songs are sometimes children’s favorites.
Think of some songs your mom, dad or grandma sang to you. Include your child’s name in the song, or use a familiar melody to sing about something that’s happened to him. Add a few hand motions. If your family is bilingual or you speak a foreign language, teach your child some songs in your family’s original language.
Tap into the Mozart Effect. While at home or in the car, listen to Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, and other classical music and you’ll be tapping into the “Mozart effect,” which means how certain types of classical music can help children’s brains learn more effectively.

Take your kids to live performances of music: local music festivals, children’s symphonies, local college string ensemble programs. Nothing fires up kid’s interest in making music and learning to play an instrument like seeing musicians perform live.
Be creative about making rhythm instruments. You can buy rhythm instruments, but making them is more fun. Securely sew bells onto Velcro bands to go around little ankles and wrists. Shakers with rice in a plastic container (with lid glued on) or clackers made from two wooden spoons make interesting noises. Make drums out of oatmeal containers; explore sounds using kitchen utensils.
Do marching, walking, beating to the music with the rhythm instruments. Play slow music and then a faster song, and have your child keep time to the beat.

Let me encourage you in these spring and summer months to put on a CD, kick up your heels and dance and twirl around the room with your kids. Take time to sing together or use rhythm instruments. And remember, the goal of musical activities is to have fun with your child rather than aim for perfection. Singing and music making is a universal communication crossing all language barriers. As your child learns words of songs through the rhythm and repetition of singing them with you (first saying one or two words of the song at the right time and then progressing to singing straight through), he’ll experience the wonderful feeling we all share when we have fun together through music.

Through engaging short stories, inspirational reflections, Scripture, creative ideas and thought-provoking questions, Cheri Fuller’s new book The Mom You’re Meant to Be: Loving Your Kids While Leaning on God encourages mothers to relax, embrace their kids’ individuality, rely on God for the wisdom they need, and enjoy the season of mothering they’re in.

(Use only with permission of author.)

© Cheri Fuller, 2003-
Cheri Fuller is an international speaker and award-winning author of forty two books including her newest, Mother-Daughter Duet: Getting to the Relationship You Want With Your Adult Daughter, The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional. She has also authored a number of books for moms like: The Mom You’re Meant to Be, The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional, the bestselling When Mothers Pray, A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer, Connect With Your Grandkids, as well as The One Year Book of Praying Through the Bible. Her books have been translated into many languages and her magazine articles and speaking ministry provide encouragement to moms throughout the U.S. and overseas.

A former Oklahoma Mother of the Year, Cheri has been a frequent guest on “Focus on the Family” and other national radio and TV programs. Her articles on prayer, family, marriage, and children have appeared in Focus on the Family, Family Circle, ParentLife, Guideposts, Today’s Christian Woman, Better Homes & Gardens, and other publications.

Cheri’s passion is encouraging women, mentoring moms, building families, and inspiring and equipping people to connect with God in their busy life so they can impact their kids and their world through prayer. Her ministry and course called “Parenting From Behind Bars” and gives hope and purpose to mothers in prison. She and her husband Holmes have three grown children, six lively grandchildren and live in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Her website, www.cherifuller.com includes a blog, articles, free Bible studies, encouragement, and more.
Search Amazon.com for more books by Cheri Fuller

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