Pregnancy, Baby Care, and Activity

• Instead of the television, make the stereo, or a musical instrument, the most important fixture in your home. "You're sowing a seed," says Rosalie Pratt, a professor of music medicine at Brigham Young University. Dance around with your baby to a jazzy tune, and snuggle in for a love song. Think of your family's daily life as a movie that needs a soundtrack. Having songs playing all the time will help cultivate your child's interest in music, she explains, so that as he grows, he'll have an ear for it.

• Play music at bedtime. Associate specific songs with the end of the day to train your child to sleep. Keep the sound and tempo slow, and the room darkened. But avoid putting on a go-to-sleep tape and leaving the room so your baby can fall asleep to it. "When the songs end, your baby may wake up and need you to come in to start the music up again," says psychologist Jodi Mindell, a Philadelphia pediatric sleep expert and author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep. Instead, play a few songs for your child then turn the tape or CD player off before he falls asleep.

• Sing to your baby. Don't worry about how you sound — your child won't critique your technique and will love the effort and attention. Your renditions shouldn't be limited to lullabies — sing songs during playtime, too. Stack a tower of blocks and knock it down as you croon "London Bridge." Even a simple game of peekaboo can become musical theater when you sing the words out loud. Make funny faces and gestures to keep your child engaged.

• Let your child make his own music. Your child may also enjoy banging on a drum, piano, or xylophone, but only for the fun of it at this age. Children don't benefit from playing an instrument until they're at least 3 years old. That's when brain circuits for music training begin to mature.
(babycenter.com)