Music and its Effect on Children
Music is a powerful tool that can have both positive and negative effects on children. So, what does music do to them, and how should you use it in parenting? In this blog, we’ll talk about the importance of music in childhood development and the various ways that music affects kids (both positively and negatively). We will also explain some ways parents can incorporate music into their child-rearing practices.
The first question we want to address is whether or not listening to different types of music will affect how your child turns out when he grows up. In other words, if classical training makes children smarter than listening to rap does. Well…maybe! Research has found links between intelligence and exposure to certain genres at earlier ages. One study showed that infants who are exposed to classical music show higher IQ levels later on in life. Another study found that children of moms who listened to a high level of popular music had a lower cognitive ability than those whose mothers consumed more diverse types of music.
But does this mean you have to worry about what kind of music your child is listening to? Absolutely not! As long as they’re exposed to different genres and learn how instruments are played (whether through playing them or hearing others), they’ll be just fine. The point is: don’t think twice about whether or not kids should listen to rap; As long as it’s age-appropriate, there’s no harm done. If anything, it can help teach valuable lessons like assertiveness and creativity. Letting children choose their own music is empowering, and it helps them explore what they like.
Benefits of music for children
You’ll likely discover that there are many benefits that associate with listening to music other than just having fun!
Firstly, music improves a child’s focus and attention. Music can be used to help kids calm down when they are overstimulated or hyperactive.
Music can be useful for educational learning. Studies show that music helps children learn languages more quickly and better retain what they have learned. Children, who are learning about music or arts in school, have better academic skills and higher test scores than those without access to these programs.
Music can help kids build self-esteem by improving their confidence in public speaking or performing, and it also teaches them how to cooperate with others while working towards a common goal, such as making music together.
Listening to music on headphones improves reading skills for some students because the rhythm of the beat reinforces the shapes of words on a page and stimulates brain activity associated with language processing, which may enhance comprehension of text read aloud when paired with musical background noise.
Music is also a great tool for calming children before bedtime, especially if they have trouble sleeping due to anxiety.
The use of music as a stimulus in children with autism spectrum disorder has been studied by researchers. Researchers wanted to see if it helps them learn and improve their behavior, social skills, and attention span. One study showed an improvement in the subjects’ verbal IQ and nonverbal IQ tests after listening to music for 30 minutes each day over 60 consecutive days.
Another benefit of playing music is its potential to decrease stress levels. Participants who took part in this experiment showed to have lower cortisol levels than those who did not listen to any music. This could be regarding to at least partially to how instrumental music can reduce tension by slowing down your heart rate.
Potential disadvantages of music for children
Listening to the same song repeatedly can result in decreased interest and familiarity with it.
Some studies have shown that listening to music before bedtime may negatively affect sleep quality, especially if one listens before bedtime after a long day of study or work. The excessive stimulation from soundwaves could make one more alert instead of relaxing them.
One might argue that playing music at high volume levels is harmful because it can cause hearing loss and temporary tinnitus (ringing in the ear). This has been studied by researchers who found a correlation between permanent hearing damage due to prolonged loud noise exposure and those individuals who were less than 25 years old when they first experienced this hearing loss.
For children, music can be a distraction from the tasks at hand. To maintain productivity in classrooms and offices alike, it is important to regulate sound levels so that information isn’t lost when it’s given. A study published by Harvard Medical School found that students exposed to high volumes of background noise have difficulty with memory retention tests. The more background noise there was while they studied for their exam, the less likely they were to remember what they had learned.
Excessive exposure to lyrics about violence may lead to aggressive behavior later on in life. In the late 1980s, a group of music psychologists experimented to determine whether or not loud rock music would have any harmful effects on children. The study involved exposing preschoolers and kindergarteners to lyrics about violence for 25 hours over five weeks. This was followed by another three weeks of exposure with no violent content. In this short time frame, these children became more aggressive than their counterparts, who were not exposed to such lyrical themes.
What type of music to choose?
Children are sensitive to the tone of voice. They may be uncomfortable listening to music with a fast tempo or aggressive lyrics. Parents should take care in choosing songs for them during car rides, before bedtime, or on long trips so they can make it more enjoyable for everyone involved. It is important that parents find music that fits all moods; Children do not want to get too worked up from one type of song but also don’t want to feel bored by another style. Some common types of these genres suitable for young children include classical music such as Mozart symphonies. It is also suitable to listen to pop/rock from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, music from Disney films such as The Lion King or Frozen.
There are other things that can affect how a child responds to music too. Most children under the age of nine months cannot tell the difference between good and bad music. Therefore, their enjoyment is dependent on what they have heard before in response to similar songs. If you don’t want your toddler listening to anything with lyrics, stick with instrumental versions. Most children prefer music with a steady beat and simple melodies.
You can play soft, soothing music if you want to calm a fussy baby or put your child to bed. Be sure you play music with a slow tempo that lasts at least three minutes and use instruments like violins, cellos, harps, or accordions for the melody.
Also:
Make sure that you have a variety of genres available and change it up often; That way it will not be boring for your child. You might also try different activities while your child listens to music. If you are cooking with them, for example, turn on some upbeat tunes and dance as you cook! This will create a fun bonding experience that is memorable for both of you…plus it’ll feel like an extra playdate.
In Conclusion,
Music has numerous benefits for your child. Study after study shows that music can help with everything; From math to reading comprehension, and even how well they sleep at night. It is important to choose age-appropriate music for your child! Make sure you both pick some songs – what’s better than bonding over a shared love? Or create a playlist, picking tracks that are relaxing or playful depending on your mood. Your children might not tell you when they need something different, so why not take charge and do it yourself?
If information about how a child’s brain reacts to music is interesting for you, check out this informative TEDx talk by John Iversen, in which he explains this process in more detail:
We hope that you found this blog post useful! If you want to know more fun activities with your beloved family, you can check out other blog posts in games and activities category.
