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Musical Notes

A friend of mine, Liana, has two beautiful and happy daughters, 14 and 11 years old. She recently told me that whenever her children misbehave or need guidance, instead of screaming, scolding or even talking to them, she SINGS her instructions, making up the melody: “It’s time to go to bed,” “You can do your homework now,” “Please help me in the kitchen,” etc.

Singing comes from the heart and is much more effective than scolding, which comes from the parental head, or screaming, which comes from the gut and is a manifestation of a child’s reaction. Even talking in a calm voice usually comes from the head and children resent parental authority, tending to tune it out. Singing gets the message across without causing resentment in the children. Thank you, Liana!

When I told this to a group of friends, one man, a teacher, told me that Waldorf teachers are trained to sing instructions to their classes. The singing creates a relaxed atmosphere and prevents children from being stressed out. The Waldorf Schools were founded by Rudolph Steiner many years ago and are now found all over the world.

Singing to Babies

Singing to babies, even in utero, is very nurturing for both mother and child. Even if your voice is not very good, your baby will love it and there will be a bond between you and your baby that will grow as your child grows. Singing any melody that comes to you with or without words will be heard by your baby before and after it is born. Just be sure it is a happy, peaceful melody so that it will help your baby to be happy and peaceful.