Transitioning into the next steps of childhood — attending daycare for the first time, going on play dates and visiting the doctor — can be daunting for a toddler, often leading to teary-eyed car rides and stressful moments for the both of you. But research shows that music can be a helpful tool during the transition into toddlerhood, gently easing anxiety or meltdowns and improving your child’s brain development.
Music Can Reduce Anxiety and Improve a Toddler’s Emotional Well-Being
Music can have a direct influence on your toddler’s brain, encouraging neuron connections and flooding them with “feel-good” hormones. According to an article from MusikGarten, studies show that listening to music and singing together affect the brain’s neurotransmitters involved in closeness and connection. This leads the brain to release endorphins and dopamine when listening to music, helping toddlers to feel happy, at ease and connected with those around them.
Music also encourages dancing, which can help relieve stress or nervousness in a toddler.
According to Mayo Clinic Press, when children dance to music, the repetitive movements and the fact that they have to use multiple body systems, both physical and mental, help maintain their focus on what they are doing in that moment rather than anxious thoughts.
Music and Meltdown Prevention
The drive to daycare or that trip to the doctor’s for vaccines can be highly stressful for you and your toddler. To avoid the immense frustration of trying to calm your child, consider using music to create a soothing or distracting environment.
According to Allisongs for Tots, music can help calm the nervous system by reducing cortisol levels, easing frustration or anxiety. The repetitive and rhythmic nature of music can also serve as a distraction, especially when it encourages your child to dance or sing along, helping to stop the tears or complaints for an extended period of time.
A Guide to Creating Playlists for Your Toddler
Searching for the perfect car ride playlist to keep your toddler entertained, or the right song to soothe them during a meltdown, can, at times, feel like a full-time job. You want something engaging and age-appropriate, but not overly annoying after multiple replays.
There is no right or wrong answer for the correct music to play for your toddler. It depends on your and your child’s personal preferences: Whether it is music intended for babies or more sophisticated sounds, such as classical, rock or disco.
Research shows that classical music, such as Beethoven and Mozart, can help improve your toddler’s brain development by stimulating brain areas related to math and spatial reasoning, working to improve concentration, problem-solving, attention span and spatial-temporal skills, according to LaunchPad Early Education.
Soothing music, such as instrumental lullabies and nature sounds, as well as repetitive poetic lyrics and rhymes, can also strengthen your child’s language and communication skills. This is mainly due to the nursery rhyme lyrics and pattern recognition, which can demonstrate language structure and introduce new vocabulary to your toddler. Popular nursery rhymes include “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”
These instrumental and relaxing sounds can also aid during bedtime. If your child struggles to fall asleep at night or wind down after a hectic day, consider playing classical music or nature sounds about 30 minutes before bed. If transformed into a nightly routine, this can condition your child’s body to recognize that it’s time to fall asleep, and it can create a more soothing environment at home.
A Playlist to Get You Started!
If you’re struggling to find the right songs or music genre for your toddler, here is a playlist crafted by Giggle Magazine to get you started on your child’s musical journey! The playlist ranges in genres and sounds, from nursery rhymes, nature sounds and instrumental music to classical, ’80s and Disney music.
