Your Baby's Emotional Health

Your Baby's Emotional Health

Emotional development is dependent upon the care received at an early age. The child who receives love, attention, and the encouragement to explore and learn is most likely to have a more highly developed amygdala, the part of the brain that allows a person to calm himself. The parts of the brain that control emotion are very much affected by the amount of handling, love, and care we receive as young children. -Magic Trees of the Mind, by Marian Diamond, Ph.D. and Janet Hopson, pp. 125-127.

"To love means you also trust." -Joan Baez

Building Bonds in Kindermusik Class
Kindermusik Village offers you a time away from everyday life where you can focus all of your attention on your baby, providing her with the care and attention that she needs for her emotional development. Kindermusik activities were designed with you and your baby in mind, and they offer many opportunities for touching, attention, and cuddling. All of the small exchanges between you and your baby have an emotional subtext, and through the experienced repetition of these messages (e. g. "I keep cuddling you because I love you and think you are special!"), children form the core of their emotional outlook and capabilities. In Kindermusik, activities are designed to foster a sense of security.

The hello and goodbye rituals that we use each class support emotional stability and a feeling of trust and well-being between adults and babies. Friendly greetings and exchanges provide an environment for positive social interaction. And the warm-up activities shared at the beginning of class are examples of intentional touch. Intentional touch can nurture the bond between Adult and Baby, relaxing both Adult and Baby with eye contact, skin contact, the adult's voice, and Baby's responses.

Connecting through Music at Home

Enjoy more nurturing at home with these activity ideas.

• "You Are My Sunshine"  Rock and sing along to your baby. He will love this bonding opportunity with you. "Mothers throughout the ages have communicated love and warmth to their infant child through the singing of lullabies and songs.. These simple activities give the baby a feeling of security andprotection." Your singing is a signal of safety and well-being to your child. -Good Music, Brighter Children, by Sharlene Habermeyer, pp. 39, 40.
• Sing and rhyme along with your everyday routines. In the most basic of activities, a musical approach helps your baby feel valued.

• Gentle massage of the neck and shoulders stimulates the release of oxytocin, a hormone that produces feelings of calm and comfort. Spend some time listening to soft music and massaging Baby. He will love the time with you and enjoy the calming effects. -Carla Hannaford, interview by Kindermusik International, Creative Team, 18 January