Singing to a baby is an ancient human instinct. The act of communicating with a baby through musical sounds is something that humans have done for almost two million years, even before speech was developed, says Dr. Ellen Dissanayake of the University of Washington.
“The Lullaby Instinct” is vital to the survival of the species!
This instinct is certainly found in parents as they protect and comfort a new life, but it seems that babies have the lullaby instinct too. Another researcher found that musical bonding is an important part of a baby’s development. Even newborn babies try to sing, and try to match the tones and pitches of the person singing a lullaby to them. This means that the baby wants to form a bond with the caregiver, and instinctively knows that music is a way to do that.
So please follow your instincts to hum, croon, sing to your baby, or just hold your baby and hum along to whatever gentle music (like “Midnight Lullaby”!) you can play. The bond that you create with your child will be priceless, and may have impact far beyond the nursery walls!
Sweet Dreams,
Jane
Listen to "May There Always":
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