Happy New Year to all our music friends! We hope you rang in the new year with loved ones and celebrated in whatever way brings you joy. Whether you stay up late and count down until midnight, or you tuck in early to get a good night’s sleep.
Now that we’ve had two weeks off of our normal lives and routines we all feel a little off-kilter. Our routines ground us. Our routines give our children a sense of security and predictability. When those routines go out the window and are replaced with vacation, holidays, visits, celebrations, or parties, we all feel a little out of equilibrium.
Have you noticed your children are more irritable than usual? Are they more prone to tantrums lately? It’s likely because their routines have been disrupted. So this week as you get back into the swing of your regularly scheduled lives, we encourage you to re-establish your children’s routines as well. Bring back that security and sense of normalcy for them and you’ll see them slip back into normal behavior patterns.
That is if you can consider any child’s behavior patterns normal. It seems like just when we get a grip on whatever development changes our children experience they are changing again and we are back to figuring out how to manage them. So keep those rituals and routines you have in your family rock-solid.
Sing that bedtime/bath time/diaper time song together. Pull out the I Love You Ritual that you learned in your Kindermusik class. Slow down for a minute and CONNECT with your little one. Engage in some intentional touch, be fully present, make eye contact with them, and enjoy a little playfulness. It will boost those feel-good hormones for both you and your child and ground you, ready for what comes your way next.
From the HEART of our studio and our JOY team we wish you the happiest of New Years as we get through this winter together. See you soon!
It’s that time of year when we reflect back and look forward. And whooo boy! What a year to look back on. This year threw everyone for a loop. Plans made were cancelled. Goals were postponed or given up on. Realignments were made as we evaluated what really mattered and what was truly worth the effort in continuing during this historic year.
At Song of the Heart Studios it was our mission that carried us through the struggles that this year brought: to be the place where eyes shine and children flourish. Just because we are living through unprecedented times that have made literally everything more challenging, we didn’t want to give up on our mission. We knew that you needed a place to continue to turn to for the joy and growth and connection that happens in a Kindermusik class, but provided in a safe way. We knew that the joy and connection that happens in class could sustain you and your family during these hard times.
During the JOY Team’s summer retreat we discussed the WHY we do what we do. And WHAT did we want to focus on in continuing to keep the studio open during the pandemic. There was a unanimous consensus; what we wanted to focus on was YOU. We wanted to continue to serve the families we had, and keep the studio open for departing families when they were ready to return.
The world needs MORE joy, not less. The world needs MORE connection, not less. And so we stretched ourselves and changed our protocols and pivoted each time a new challenge presented itself. Our commitment to your families and your children has been our guiding light.
And so at this end of year we want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for sticking with us this year. Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for being part of our tribe. Thank you for sharing your children with us and letting us love and teach them. Thank you for giving us a reason to keep our doors open. Thank you for providing the means for us to keep our doors open.
In this coming year we renew our commitment to our studio’s values and will strive with each class to bring you HEART, JOY, CONNECTION, FAMILY, and GROWTH. May your family’s eyes continue to shine and your children flourish with each Kindermusik class.
4 Musical Resolutions for 2018
Make your everyday routines easier and special memories a little more lasting. Music does it all. 1 – Sing More With Your Little One
At first, you’ll almost need to make a plan to sing MORE. But once it is second nature, you’ll find you can find a song – or make up a song – for nearly EVERY part of your day. Your daily routines will become easier, and even the unexpected moments will become a little more manageable when you have a song or two to ease you and your child through.
And remember, whether you would ever sing in public or not, to your child, YOUR voice is the most beautiful sound in the world. Filling your child’s heart with special songs makes for precious memories that your family will cherish forever.
2 – Cuddle and Dance Every Day
Taking more time to use music to cuddle and dance together will definitely bring you closer. You’ll probably find that your own stress levels are reduced and that your child will have fewer meltdowns as a result of taking more time for intentional and loving connection.
Enjoy a few extra musical cuddles before naps or bedtime. And dancing? A spontaneous dance can happen anytime throughout the day. Nothing gets rid of the grumps or brings a smile of delight more quickly than a dance around the room – to singing or recorded music.
3 – Create Family Playlists
A musical environment comes from experiencing music. Take a few minutes to create some playlists of your child’s favorite music. Your Kindermusik Online Parent Guides are the best place to start.
Organize and label your playlists according to the kind of music each playlist contains. For example, those soft, sweet lullabies are perfect to play when your child is settling down for a nap or for bedtime. A playlist of fun, energetic music inspires your child to dance, move, and play… and expend a little energy! A sing-along playlist of your child’s favorite songs to SING helps errands in the car go so much more quickly and smoothly.
4 – Commit to Fostering Your Child’s Musical Development
The window for benefitting from playing, making, and listening to music is open the widest in the very early years of childhood. We ALL want our children to have every possible advantage – academically, socially, developmentally, and even musically. So, give yourself a little round of applause for commiting to your child’s overall development with your regular Kindermusik classes.
