Not long after a newborn arrives, squalling and squawking at the sudden change, parents instinctively use high-pitched voices to console their babies who have just been thrust into a blindingly bright and noisy world vastly different than the warm, insulated and cozy womb they’ve been hanging out in.
That annoying voice we tend to use when talking to babies, the one that shoots up an octave? It actually comes naturally to use “that voice.”
And it turns out babies love it!
In fact, in a 2015 study by McGill University, Canadian researchers discovered that six-month-old infants were more drawn to their own higher-pitched speech patterns than those of adults speaking in normal adult-sounding tones.
The infants listened to “a repeating vowel sound that mimicked those made by an adult woman or those by a baby” using a synthesis tool.
Then researchers measured the length of each infant’s attention span. On average, the infants listened to another baby’s vowels 40 percent longer than the adult woman’s vowels.
Babies also love it when sung to by a loved one. Even lower pitches are more pleasing when they’re sung versus spoken, because babies pick up on the sounds and rhythms of songs.
One baby girl is absolutely mesmerized by her daddy singing to her. In this Facebook video, she sits on the kitchen table and faces him while he places his hands tenderly under her arms to provide support and balance her.
You can even see her wriggling her body, flailing her arms and twitching her toes in excitement while she listens to Daddy. She is compelled to sing along on this Rascal Flatts song titled “I’m Moving on.”
She starts out cooing and attempts to match pitch. It’s the absolute cutest thing!
Dad makes eye contact with his darling daughter the entire time, serenading her. Mom Danielle Johnson Jones posted their duet together on Facebook where it’s since been viewed more than 12 million times and drawn almost 19,000 comments.
A stay-at-home mom from Mississippi, Danielle’s video has gone viral. Facebook user Kathleen Pauly of New York commented how incredible their video is.
“It is absolutely beautiful and you need to play this at her wedding in the future! Seriously brought tears to my eyes.”
The song itself is a sad one, but Dad, who happens to have a great voice, does it justice. It’s so sweet how he encourages her to sing along with him throughout the entire song.
“I’m movin’ on. At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me and I know there’s no guarantees, but I’m not alone. There comes a time in everyone’s life when all you can see are the years passing by and I have made up my mind that those days are gone.”
This Rascal Flats song is touching and a bit melancholy, but speaks volumes for parents who know all too well how time flies when you have kids. One minute she’s this precious bundle of joy and the next thing you know, you’re walking her down the aisle and giving her away to her husband.
This video between Dad and daughter is simply adorable. Music brings people together and is the perfect way for a parent to bond with a baby. See for yourself how sweet these two are!
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