There are many benefits to be gained from spending
time singing rhymes with your baby while enjoying rhythmic exercises
(in addition to having fun!). The classes are an excellent follow on to
Baby Massage as they include ideas for enjoying elements of massage with older babies and young toddlers.
Some of the key benefits are:
Bonding
Baby massage gives parent and infant a way
to spend special, pleasurable time together. By spending this time focused
on their baby, parents gain an increased understanding of their baby’s
cues and responses. This can lead to increased confidence for the parent
and relaxation for both.
Child Development
Research has shown using rhythm
and movement at an early age can help enhance children's development in
areas such as orientation, attention, sound discrimination and memory.
Sharing Time
Baby Music is time spent communicating
and co-operating with your baby while having fun and learning what your
child enjoys.
Classes give you the added benefit of meeting other parents with
babies of a similar age.
What happens in a Baby Music Class
Our classes are friendly and relaxed. We
allow an hour for each class to ensure that there is plenty of time to
cover all the material each week, even allowing for the unpredictability
of babies!
Although a CD is used in the class your baby will gain most benefit by
you singing to them - but they won't mind whether its in tune, so no
musical ability is required.
Through out the class the instructor demonstrates the movements using a doll.
Classes start with a warm up, and work through a variety of songs and
movements before ending with a relaxation session. The routine is
gradually built up over the four week course.
There is plenty of time before and after the practical session to
discuss areas of interest, answer questions and review topics and movements
from previous weeks.
Each class ends with an informal section when parents can relax
and either chat with each other, or review areas with the
instructor.
Are there any situations when Baby
Music isn’t suitable?
There may be times when it is best not to use Baby Music. Here are some general guidelines:
- If baby is asleep, tired, hungry, crying or fretful
- Is unwell or has a temperature
- has had vaccinations in the last 3 days
When can I start Baby Music and when can I carry on till?
Rhythm Kids exercises are suitable for babies from 8 weeks. Our baby
classes are designed for babies up to a year old, although the
exercises can be adapted for use with older toddlers and children.
Fun with nursery rhymes can be something you share with your child for
years to come.