Did you know that singing to your baby is really beneficial to their development? Right from around 24 weeks pregnancy, babies are able to hear their mothers and other people around them. The noises they hear in utero can become familiar and therefore comforting. Choose a song to regularly sing to your unborn baby and they will find it comforting after they are born.

Once born, Babies begin to listen to everything we say, slowly learning the key sounds of the language spoken around them and the tone and rhythm of conversation. Songs and rhymes attune our baby’s brains to language, both listening and speaking. The vibrations of singing have even been shown to provide multi-sensory stimulation, and affects neuro-chemistry and emotions too.

Long before a child can understand or speak words, singing to them paves the way for developing the foundation stones for communication, whilst being a joyful shared experience. Singing can soothe a fretful baby, entertain a bored baby, and provide another way of connecting and bonding with your little one.

The best thing is your baby won’t care if you sound like Charlotte Church or Milli Vanilli, they will love your singing and gain all the benefits regardless of your singing voice.

If you’re interested in how singing plays into development, you might like to read “The Genius of natural Childhood” by Sally Goddard Blythe.