Children love music and singing. Before they can talk or sing themselves, they love to hear others sing to them. That is why many parents choose to sing their babies to sleep or sing to calm them down when they are upset.
There are many studies that show the importance of singing to babies.
It can help them develop language skills and help babies and parents bond with each other. Sally Goddard Blythe, a consultant in neurodevelopmental education and director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, recently wrote a book on the subject. In it, she said:
“Singing traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes to babies and infants before they learn to speak, is an essential precursor to later educational success and emotional wellbeing. Song is a special type of speech. Lullabies, songs, and rhymes of every culture carry the ‘signature’ melodies and inflections of a mother tongue, preparing a child’s ear, voice, and brain for language. Neuro-imaging has shown that music involves more than just centralized hotspots in the brain, occupying large swathes on both sides.”
The beauty of it all is that you don’t have to be a professional singer or write your own music to entertain your baby with song.
Babies respond to almost any music, and they love their parents’ voices no matter how off-pitch they may be.
One dad recently got attention for singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to his young baby. The dad is a good singer, but the baby’s reaction is what everyone is talking about. It’s clear that this father sings this song to his son often and that the baby really enjoys it.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” may not be a song you would consider a lullaby, but this baby sure seems to like it.
The song actually has a lot of historical significance. According to the Bored Daddy:
“The Star-Spangled Banner became an official government tune in 1889 when it was recognized by the United States Navy. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson also recognized it in 1916 and it became the official National Anthem per approval by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931.”
Of course, this little guy doesn’t understand or care about any of that stuff right now.
He just really enjoys the song and having his dad sing it to him. You can tell by his reaction that is it one of his favorites.
In the video, the baby can be seen smiling and moving around as his daddy starts to sing. He starts with:
“Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light. What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight. O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?”
The baby starts chiming in, as well. He can’t talk yet, but he can make noises to mimic his dad.
He thinks he is singing just like his dad, and he even hits a couple high and low notes with him. It’s an adorable duet.
By the time his dad gets to the lyrics, “And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
The baby is throwing his arms in the air and moving to the beat of the song as well as singing to it.
He even holds one of the notes for several seconds. Like any good singer, you can see the emotion in this little boy’s face when he sings. Dad is off-camera, but it’s safe to say that he is singing with a lot of emotion, too.
By the end of the song, the baby is clapping and clearly happy that he got to be a part of the performance. He loves to sing, and thanks to his parents, he is exposed to plenty of music. He does pretty well considering he is so little. He may be a professional singer someday.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Baby Helps Dad Sing U.S. National Anthem
This baby has some serious singing skills! 🎶
Posted by Poke My Heart on Tuesday, April 17, 2018
