The influence of music on child development

General requirements for music for newborns

Adults can listen to whatever they want. However, not every melody will be equally useful for the baby. The choice of background music for babies, and even more so that which will be used purposefully, must be approached consciously.

The child begins to hear and perceive the first sounds at 16 weeks. At first it’s just the beating of a mother’s heart. Then - her voice, the voices of those around her. After birth, the baby enters a world full of sounds. They become much louder and clearer.

In the first six months, they merge into almost one continuous cacophony, from which the baby learns to identify the ones he needs. Hearing continues to develop, and the hearing organs complete their formation.

To speed up these processes, it is recommended to talk to the child, sing to him, and play compositions.

However, you need to remember that not all music can be used for newborns:

slow calm melodies;
the major key is mainly used;
cheerful music for children is played in the morning to promote awakening, or during games and activities;
compositions should not contain sharp transitions, changes in rhythm or volume;
short duration of works: up to 5 minutes;
Focused listening should take 10 to 20 minutes a day, preferably broken into 5-7 minute blocks throughout the day.

Kids perceive instrumental music well when only 1 musical instrument is used or its part is clearly displayed, the rest of the “orchestra” sounds in the background. The piano and violin are especially good.

It is also recommended to use nature sounds in the background: rain, birdsong, rustling leaves and grass. In cities, people experience a shortage of natural sounds.

The most pleasant sound for a baby is the mother's voice. Therefore, there is no need to be shy about singing, telling poems and nursery rhymes. For a child, this is a type of communication with his mother.

Influence of classical music

Scientists have long proven the benefits of classics for children.

They even compiled a list of composers whose works are recommended to be listened to in different situations:

Chopin, Strauss help get rid of anxiety;
a calming effect was noted in the compositions of Beethoven and Schubert;
Bach recordings help relieve stress;
Mozart and Khachaturian inspire cheerfulness and optimism;
Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn help improve concentration.

Listening to classical compositions not only allows you to level out the baby’s emotional state, but also helps him develop intellectually. Parents themselves note the beneficial effects of classical music on children. They often stage their favorite works and select those that the kids like.

Mozart's music deserves special attention. The compositions contribute to the intellectual development of the child.

The fact is that melodic transitions and vibrations in the works coincide with the biorhythms of the brain, which contributes to its work and development, and has a beneficial effect on the creativity, intelligence and attention of the newborn.

This is why experts advise children to play Mozart. They even compile a list of songs recommended for listening.

The influence of classical music on a child

Not all adults can boast of a love for the classics. Many people find it too boring and difficult to listen to every day. However, child psychologists confidently declare that classical music has a tremendous impact on the psyche of children.

We have already said that with the help of classics you can correct the emotional background of a child. To calm your baby down, play compositions by Schubert, Brahms, and Beethoven. To improve his mood, play Tchaikovsky for him; to increase activity, choose Mozart, Liszt, Khachaturian. If you want to reduce anxiety and uncertainty, invite your child to listen to Strauss and Chopin.

Music also influences the development of children's imagination. Along with certain emotions, visual images also arise. Even at an early age, a child is able to imagine the characters of musical works; the older the child, the more vivid his fantasies. An older preschooler can already draw a picture based on his favorite song.

Playing musical instruments helps develop children's literary and mathematical abilities. Rhythm and melody teach babies to sense spatial and temporal concepts. And many young musicians begin to write wonderful poems.

Despite the benefits of classical music, children should not be forced to listen to it. Play works of different styles and observe the child’s reaction. Some compositions will calm him down, others, on the contrary, will activate and invigorate him. After some time, you will be able to create your own music album, which will have a beneficial effect on your baby.

"White noise"

A concept that has been used relatively recently in pediatrics. White noise is a combination of sounds that creates a monotonous background. In this case, the set can combine sounds of different frequencies and volumes, but at the same time they will merge together, absorbing all other noise and evenly filling the entire frequency range.

The absence of changes or sharp interfering sounds creates a calm environment, which allows the baby to quickly calm down. White noise is often used instead of sleep music for children.

There are natural sounds that create white noise: the sound of a waterfall, the rustling of grass and leaves, the wind, the babbling of a stream. Man-made sounds can also be classified as white noise: the sounds of various devices operating are quite monotonous, for example, a vacuum cleaner, pump, fan, hair dryer, etc.

To create white noise, you can use special audio recordings, or you can create it artificially.

For example, turning on the water tap, starting to vacuum, even turning on the radio on a free frequency. You can whisper or hiss.

Here you just need to observe the child’s reaction: what sounds he likes, which ones cause tension, which ones cause relaxation, which ones become soothing music.

The right background helps:

falling asleep quickly;
calm;
relaxation;
sound sleep without waking up;
smoother transition from one sleep phase to another;
avoiding awakening from sudden extraneous sounds;
absorption of extraneous noise;
better quality rest and relaxation.

The influence of classical music on a child

Restrictions on music use

Without any restrictions, you can use only mother's songs for babies. These sounds are not capable of harming the baby. Yes, the imama herself will instinctively feel what her baby needs now.

Restrictions when using music:

You cannot play any compositions while the baby is sleeping or resting. This will interfere with full recovery, the brain will be distracted. At the same time, quiet, calm melodies help you fall asleep. But after the baby falls asleep, the sounds need to be removed.
Headphones cannot be used . Directed sound may cause acoustic injury.
Children perceive diffused sound best. It is advisable to install the speakers slightly above the child’s head and at a distance of at least 1.5 m.
No need to use additional effects.
Noisy places should be avoided for up to six months. Until this age, the baby has not developed selective hearing, which leads to the fact that all the sounds of the environment merge together, which can frighten the baby;
It is undesirable to include rap, rock, grunge and other genres where many instruments are used, there are sharp transitions and other difficult-to-perceive moments. This will overload the child’s nervous system and depress it.
It is advisable to play fast and light melodies in the morning, and calm ones in the evening. This will allow you to correctly form circadian rhythms.
Don't get carried away . No more than 2-3 works of classics should be played per day.
Focus on your well-being . If a child is sick, has seizures, or has problems with the hearing organs, then it is necessary to exclude listening to music from the daily routine; a maximum reduction in acoustic load is required.

Is it possible to play music for newborns?

The baby begins to hear sounds while still in the mother’s belly. From the 16th week he can already hear the beating of his mother’s heart and the voices of his parents. After birth, all sounds for the baby become clearer, but due to physiological characteristics, his hearing remains defective, since the organs that recognize sounds continue to develop and form. To speed up these processes, it is useful to talk with the child, read nursery rhymes and nursery rhymes to him. It is equally important to play calm, soft music for the baby. From the first weeks of life, it will help the baby relax, calm down, and get rid of anxiety. Also, calm melodies stimulate intellectual development.

What kind of music is good for babies to listen to?

Not all music is suitable for newborns, but only with a certain emotional coloring. Melodies for babies should be calm, positive, and soothing—instrumental music fully meets these criteria; preference should be given to the piano and string instruments, especially the violin. Music should be harmonious, without significant changes in volume, rhythm and speed; Medium length - the duration of one composition should not exceed 5 minutes.

Psychologists observed the reactions of infants and compiled a list of composers whose music is beneficial in different situations:

if a child has anxiety, Chopin, Strauss, Rubinstein will help relieve it;
To make the child calm down, turn on the music of Beethoven, Schubert;
Bach's works will help you relax and reduce tension;
for a good mood, the best music is compositions by Mozart and Khachaturian;
if you need to increase concentration, choose works by Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn.

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More than once, scientists have argued that classical music is best suited for young children and has a more positive effect on them. Quite often, parents choose for their children such works as: “Moonlight” by Dibussy, “Ave Maria” by Schubert, “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven, “Winter” by Vivaldi and so on. Particular attention should be paid to the music of Mozart. They began to talk about the fact that it has a special effect on the child and his intellectual development several centuries ago. Transitions in all Mozart's compositions are in tune with the biorhythms of the brain, which, with regular listening, can increase the intellectual development, attention and creativity of your child. Most experts recommend using Mozart's music specifically for newborns. The most popular compositions in this regard are the Opera The Magic Flute - Papageno's Aria, Symphony No. 4d, Andante, and so on.

It is important that the baby likes the music and brings him joy and peace. A good “sedative” is the sounds of living nature: birdsong, the sound of sea waves, the noise of trees. You can also play songs from cartoons, fairy tales, and musicals for children for newborns.

Read also: White noise: a sedative for a newborn

Educational music and songs for babies

The songs that the mother sings not only introduce the baby to the world of music, but also stimulate his development. You can sing lullabies to your baby before going to bed, as well as nursery rhyme songs while bathing, changing clothes, or doing gymnastics. Mothers themselves often don’t even notice that they start singing while working with their baby. This is one of the manifestations of caring for a child. Moreover, the baby always smiles in response to her mother’s song - and it doesn’t matter whether she has an ear for music or vocal abilities.

To cheer up your little one, try putting on a musical at home. Such a performance will amuse the newborn and fill his life with bright colors and fun. Impromptu musical performances will also help instill in the baby a taste for music and an interest in creativity.

Ustimenko T.V. The influence of music on child development

What kind of music can't be played?

Despite all the benefits of music for the upbringing and development of a child, there are a number of contraindications to its use.

Psychologists and pediatricians prohibit turning on music when a child is sleeping or resting, the only exception being the time of falling asleep and a quiet, soothing lullaby.

Under no circumstances should you put headphones on your baby. The baby perceives scattered sound, but directed sound can provoke acoustic trauma. The sound source should be at least 1.5 m from the child, and, preferably, slightly above him. Don't use additional effects.

Babies under 6 months should not be taken to noisy places. Selective attention in children at this age has not yet been developed, so all surrounding sounds merge into a frightening cacophony for them.

Newborns are prohibited from playing hard rock, metal, rap, grunge. The tempo and combination of musical instruments will negatively affect the condition of the baby, and may even inhibit its development.

You can't play music very loudly. We recommend playing cheerful melodies in the morning, and calm ones in the evening. You can listen to no more than 2-3 classical compositions per day, with a total duration of no more than 10-15 minutes, and this time is best divided into two periods.

In general, only my mother’s song has no contraindications. Almost all other music will have to be abandoned if the child:

predisposition to seizures;
child's illness;
ear infection;
increased intracranial pressure.