“NO! STOP SINGING!”  

Parents: Have you been issued the verbal equivalent of a cease and desist order by the tiny tyrant who resides in your house every time you start singing along to your favorite tune? If so, this post is for you!  

First things first: This assertive behavior around who does/doesn’t get to be the music maker in your family is something to celebrate not stress over. As Drs. Carol Ann Blank and Lili Levinowitz document in this blog post, amazing developmental milestones are happening in the first two years of your child’s life, leading them to become more independent and confident.  

Second: Blank and Levinowitz offer a range of helpful suggestions for navigating these moments, which also help your child practice empathy, compassion, turn-taking and tolerating frustration. (Examples: Ask your child to sing with you, or offer them the choice to sing one part while you sing the other.) 

A Music Together^® class is a great opportunity to support your toddler’s emerging independence. Something as simple as being able to wonder away from the music-making circle and back again under your watchful eye helps foster their assertiveness in a safe, fun environment. 

We love hearing the sound of your voice as you sing along and make music together! Our Winter Classes just started, so contact us if you would like to be contacted when enrollment opens for our Spring classes.