Social-Emotional Development

• Making friends.
• Sharing.
• Learning how to express frustration appropriately.
• Figuring out conflicts peacefully.
• Helping someone who has been hurt.
• Waiting patiently.
• Following rules.
• Enjoying the company of others.
• Internal motivation to succeed

All of these qualities (and more!) describe what we all wish to see as parents is the healthy social development of our children. Like any skill, young children develop these abilities in small steps over time, and they learn them from you, their first social connection and teacher. On the whole, young children who spend time singing, playing, and moving with other children are better prepared to be confident and self-aware, build positive relationships with peers, and get the best out of the learning environments and opportunities that life will bring them…just one of the many reasons that Kindermusik is so much more than music!

The Kindermusik classroom is the perfect place for your child to practice and develop social skills. Our activities help children learn to work with, understand, and enjoy others, while teaching parents to model activities that include social interaction and the joy of learning. At every level from Birth – 7, Kindermusik curricula are written to support the development of your child’s social & emotional skills with age-appropriate, challenging activities.

In fact, studies show that music and movement experiences in a group setting impact all seven areas of social-emotional development* identified by researchers.  Those seven areas are:

• Confidence
• Curiosity
• Intentionality
• Self-control
• Relatedness
• Capacity to communicate
• Cooperativeness

Reading Aloud

Reading to a child on a regular basis benefits him in several key ways. Reading increases his knowledge of the world, his vocabulary, his familiarity with the written language, and his interest in becoming literate. In fact, the larger the variety of fluent readers a child hears, the better.

Ideas for parents: Even if other special adults in your child’s life do not live nearby, it’s still possible for your child to hear them reading aloud. Hallmark has recordable books. Skype offers free video calls. And MailVU makes it possible to record and send a video email. The possibilities are endless!

Bonding for Baby 12-18 months

Hammocking: A Fun Activity to Encourage the Parent-Child Bond

I don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but we have been blessed with beautiful spring weather this week. That means it’s time to get up and move outside! Just this week, we celebrated “No Child Left Inside” Day, so here is a great activity for two adults and baby to do outside! Outstretch a sturdy blanket on the grass or the floor (if your weather isn’t that great and you need to make this a rainy day activity for your toddler instead). Lay your child in the center of the blanket. Hold onto one end of the blanket, and with another adult holding on to the other end of the blanket, slowly lift it off the floor and gently rock it back and forth to a favorite kid’s song such as All the Pretty Little Horses. Rocking your child back and forth stimulates the vestibular system—the part of the body that controls the sense of balance, developing your child while having fun!