The importance of nursery rhymes and why they won't ever go out of date...

Singing my daughter to sleep with her personalised version of 'Frere Jaques' tonight (Maple's sleepy, Maple's sleepy, go to bed, go to bed, etc...) I got to thinking about the amazing power of nursery rhymes and the fact that most people probably have no idea just how important they really are!

Did you know that from the very moment your baby is born he/she has the neurological ability to UNDERSTAND and ENJOY particular intervals?? (For you musical types the minor 3rd is the main one I'm referring to here and if you're not a musical type just think of intervals as the makeup of the melody). Interestingly, the intervals that babies love the most are the ones that nursery rhymes are made out of :)

For example, if I type the phrases "Naah, Naah, na, Naah, Naah" or "You can't catch me" I bet you all naturally sing them in your mind in that childhood tune - you know, THAT tune, the one ALL little kids seem to just know and seem to sing!!

Well there's a reason all little kids sing in THOSE tunes - it's because the intervals (melody) are familiar and comfortable to them - they're born with those melodic frameworks in their brain and hearing them and singing them makes them feel good, which helps the development of positive neural pathways.

THIS IS A REALLY POSITIVE THING, AND YOU CAN USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!!

In general playing pop or  'grown up' music just doesn't quite cut it. The structure, melody, rhythm and tempo of these songs are often too complex and confusing for the tiny mind to comprehend which means they probably don't get the same feeling of "ooh, my tiny brain gets this tune, I like it and it's making me feel safe and sound"... (which I'm SURE is what the new born would be thinking if they could think in such an orderly and well-educated manner!)

So - why not give your baby the gift of nursery rhyme?!

Easier said than done?? Here are a few things NOT to be scared of...

* Don't be scared to ask someone to teach you a few if you don't know any (this is totally common for Gen Y's and beyond) so no need to worry :) Youtube can be a great source for finding a nursery rhyme 'library' and choosing a few you like the most out of the hundreds you will stumble across.

* Don't be scared of being politically incorrect! The chances are you won't offend anyone, least of all your baby, by singing about black sheep - and personally I think singing about orange sheep is confusing and misleading! I choose not to sing the ones about spanking and starving the little children, but that's just me - it's all a personal choice :)

* Don't be scared of singing out of tune. Your children will have absolutely no idea about being 'in' or 'out' of tune - they will just feel loved and happy from hearing your voice and hearing their special songs. (On a side note, Mama's voice is the one your baby loves to hear the most as it is the most familiar. From the moment your bub is born he/she would be able to pick your voice out amongst a noisy crowded room of a hundred people - that's how strongly they recognise your particular sound and that recognition also makes them feel happy and safe. What I'm trying to say here Mums is that your babies LOVE it when you sing to them!)

* Don't be scared about getting the words wrong - it's the melody, structure and repetition that babies love, not the words. Feel free to personalise the words as I often do or choose nursery rhymes with the same tunes (ie Twinkle, twinkle and ABC) so no matter what words come out you can't go wrong!

As a special bonus - the more you sing a nursery rhyme to your baby the more they will come to recognise it and the more chance you have of settling them with that song when they're out of sorts, cranky or sleepy.

What more motivation could you possibly need!!!

Oh the joys of baby sign language

My 19 month old daughter knows two languages - English and Sign. 

She has no hearing impairment or sensory delays of any kind (well ok, she has a cataract, but for the point of the story she's in A1 sensory condition)! She doesn't appear to show any symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, of developmental difficulties or speech impediments - but she does sign anyway!

I first found out about baby sign as a student music therapist at Ipswich Special School, Qld. I was amazed at how so many children with so many varied set of symptoms and characteristics were all able to communicate through this one beautiful channel! Since then I've tried to use sign with all the 0-4's I've had the pleasure of making music with. 

I've always thought "they probably don't even realise I'm doing anything" - a shake of the thumb as I say we're 'finished' with the instruments, a tap to the chin when I thank them and a policeman's hand up when we 'stop' - nothing that really stands out. But that was until I started using sign with my Maple - and then I realised that EVERY SINGLE HAND GESTURE THAT GOES WITH A WORD IS BEING PROCESSED!! Even after all those years of using sign I was astounded when I realised just how powerful a communication tool it actually is. 

It all started when, at 12 months, I decided to see if I could work out if Maple was actually 'finished' with her milk or if she was just playing that 'on/off/on/off game' with me. I asked "Maple are you finished?" and shook my thumb from side to side as I said it. Nothing. But at the VERY NEXT FEED - she looked up after 10 minutes, shook her thumb from side to side and moved away. From that day on 'finished' has been her keyword - she will tell me when she's finished with her milk, finished in the bath, finished her food, her book, her cuddle, even (yes I'm guilty of it) my ipad - she'll actually give it back after 5 minutes and tell me she's 'finished'. It's a beautiful thing to watch a toddler using signs in context and demonstrating total comprehension of what the words actually mean before they can speak them.

Makaton is the sign program I was first introduced to and is what I generally base my sign style on. Makaton is a language program which uses signs, words and symbols to encourage language development in those with communication difficulties. The program is divided into stages with the initial stages incorporating the most basic and common words such as Mummy, Daddy, bed, drink, food, toilet, please, thankyou etc... and the subsequent stages introducing more complex concepts and phrases. The signs are derived from AUSLAN (in Australia that is) as this is the cultural language of our deaf community. The word is always spoken when the sign is used and the pictorial symbols are helpful when working with children with more complicated communication delays.

I don't use symbols and I only really use signs from the first couple of stages of the program - these seem to give us enough of a basis in the language to be able to sign our general day-to-day needs. We also make up our own signs - funny ones that pertain to our own 'family language' and Maple has adapted some of the ones we've shown her which we've then taken on.

Sign language encourages eye contact, physical contact, non-verbal expression, verbal expression, fine and gross motor skills, positive neural development, cognitive involvement, social interaction and inclusion, facial expression and much, much more.

I love the idea that even though I only speak English I still have a second language - I love the idea that one day Maple might be able to communicate with children who a lot of other children can't communicate with and I love the idea that when I use signs at work other children, parents and educators are, often unbeknownst to them, processing a new language.

And I totally love it when Maple signs 'I love you Mummy'  - ahhh... melts the heart :)

My baby sign language workshop is available as a skype session for only $80 so contact me today!

OR

http://ohmymusicalgoodness.blogspot.com.au/p/upcoming-sessions.html
Come to one of my baby sign workshops and learn so much more!

OR...

http://www.babysignandlearn.com.au/
These folks have some great resources to help you get started on your sign journey

https://www.facebook.com/BabySignAndLearn
You can also find them on facey of course!