Singing lullabies is not only used to put baby to sleep, it promotes his development and also strengthens the parent-child bond.
- Listening to lullabies helps babies better regulate their emotions. It also strengthens their bond with their parents.
- Children’s songs are also beneficial for moms and dads. They help them gain confidence in their parenting abilities.
- Lullabies provide social and emotional information that teaches infants about themselves, their family, and the world around them.
Lullabies are undoubtedly a wonderful tool for parents looking to calm their infants and help them fall asleep. It is also a universal method used for thousands of years around the world. However, the power of children’s songs goes far beyond the simple technique of helping babies fall into the arms of Morpheus.
Infant: lullabies help him manage his emotions
The effect of lullabies on babies’ development was revealed in a study conducted by researchers from the University of Auckland. The latter, published in the latest issue ofInfant Behavior and Development, is based on the compilation and analysis of data from 21 research studies on the impact of parents’ singing on infants. It shows that toddlers exposed to lullabies show better regulation of their emotions. Depending on the choice of songs, it seems to be able to help them relax, be more attentive, feel happy or even prepare for sleep.
Besides, these melodies also help parents to share their culture and improve the language skills of their offspring. In addition to promoting babies’ emotional and verbal development, humming children’s songs strengthens the bond and attachment of parents and toddlers.
“Ultimately, lullabies sung by parents communicate social and emotional information that teaches infants about themselves, their families, and the world around them”write the authors in their articles.
Singing lullabies is also beneficial for parents
Research from the University of Auckland shows that lullabies aren’t just good for kids. Singing seems to help mums – there were only 4 dads among the samples of the 21 studies – to gain confidence in their ability to understand and meet their baby’s needs or to help him grow well. The data indicate that this activity also reinforces well-being and parental self-esteem. A reduction in signs of depression, stress and anxiety is also observed in mothers who hum tunes to their babies.
Singing lullabies should therefore not be considered a trivial practice, but a real communication and development tool for babies and their parents.
