Don’t get me wrong, I love Baby Shark just as much as the next mother of toddlers, but just like anything on repeat – it can get to be a little much.
Listening: a whole-brain, whole-body experience
As children grow and develop, it is important for them to have experiences that enhance all of their senses, including their auditory sense which as Angela Hanscom (a occupational therapist) writes in her book Balanced and Barefoot, “is the pre-cursor to interaction, speaking, reading, and writing.” Exposing growing babies and toddlers to a variety of sounds is a great way to encourage the natural development of this sense.
As the parent, you can provide a variety of sounds through types of music, but don’t forget all natural sounds as well – sometimes choosing for NOT having background sounds (from screens/devices) can offer auditory experiences that are incredibly beneficial. Think: the sound of songbirds outside, or the sound of an airplane flying overhead, the sound of a dog barking across the street, or a fly buzzing in the room.
Noises and sounds are actually wired in our brain to our survival instincts. This is why we react intensely to loud sounds (a siren, the television too loud). The noise puts our body into a state of attention which is perfectly fine (and expected) for a few moments as we assess the situation. But our bodies are not meant to be in a constant state of attention.
In fact, being exposed to loud noises or noise pollution on a frequent basis may actually harm children and their ability to interpret sound over time.
Angela Hanscom; Balanced and Barefoot
It might be worth considering an informal assessment of the sounds present in your home regularly. If there is always background noise at your house from a screen or device, you might want to start to set times when the noise is removed so your baby/toddler can begin to recognize other sounds and noises that are more naturally occurring around them. Try to remember that your baby/toddler is developing and growing all the time and most often are not bored.
Sound when your child needs comforted
Your toddler’s preference for sound, I can guarantee, is always going to be your voice. If you carried your child in your own body, your voice was the first sound they learned to recognize. Your voice is the sound that talks to them the most often; the voice that helps them learn language; the voice that answers to their call of need.
If you need to calm your child, your go to move should be whispering in their ear. You can sing a familiar song, or just speak to them softly while holding them closely. I have a few songs that I have memorized and have always sung to our kids since they were babies: To Make You Feel My Love, Never Alone, and Cielito Lindo. I also made up a little family lullaby that is made up of all my kids’ first and middle names.
So if your child needs calmed or soothed, please always choose your own voice in their ear to comfort them with a hug and a back rub.
Five songs for your toddler that are NOT Baby Shark
Obviously though, there are times when a little music can keep the mood light and fun during playtime. And there is nothing like fun music to encourage spontaneous dance parties to get the wiggles out. For those moments, we have some fun go-to favorites and below you will 5 options that are NOT Baby Shark:
- Banana Phone – Raffi
- That’s an Opposite – Move with Mr. Prather
- Herman the Worm – The Learning Station
- Tooty Ta – Dr. Jean
- Piñata Attack – Lucky Diaz and The Family Jam Band
Each of the artists listed above also have loads more children’s songs – so if you and your kid enjoy one of them in particular – check out some of their other stuff too!
Music: introduction to new and varied sounds
There are so many styles of music to introduce your toddler (and older kids!), it seems like the options are practically endless. It’s a great exercise to stretch beyond the music style that plays regularly in your car or home to introduce new instrument sounds, musician voices, and rhythms.
If you normally listen to the current top hits while you meal prep, maybe try playing music from a different era instead. If you like jamming out to 80’s ballads in the car, maybe play some R&B for your next trip. Who knows – you might even stumble upon a new favorite tune or artist while you simply try to introduce new sounds to your little one!
Putumayo is a great resource if you are looking to expand you and your child’s musical horizons in even more ways. They have playlists categorized by culture and style – or parts of the world for both children and adults. They also have a section of their website dedicated to sharing a musician and a video of the week to help introduce new talent and music from all around the world.
We have their World Playground and the Dreamland discs and all the songs have become some of our favorites for car rides!
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