Fine Motor-Skills Bonanza, and Musical Notes

Light switches and door handles are a fine motor-skills bonanza.  When Blake was being carried in our arms at 5mo (3.5mo CA), I taught him to lean down and turn the door-handles and toggle the light-switches.  He got the hang of it instantly, and the only downside was as soon as he grew tall enough, he could get into any room in the house he desired!  Still, it's a matter of supervision more than anything; one may as well teach children anything they are fascinated to learn, and manage the consequences through supervision.  It also taught him to be helpful from a very young age.

He is going through a time of limited attention span at the moment, getting easily distracted and not necessarily wanting to do any activity for very long.  I hope this is a phase...it's hard to go from activity to activity so quickly.  He is currently playing on the i-pad and strumming the guitar concurrently.  Well, he was ~ now he's at the piano.  Gosh, how they switch quickly between tasks at this age!

Speaking of music, I taught him music in the womb, singing and tapping in time on my belly.  He has his own special song I sang lots when he was in utero, trying out the theory that it is recognisable to them ex utero, and will calm them when unsettled.  Can't say I can confirm this.  Any song I sing does calm him, though ~ I suspect all children are calmed by their parents singing.  The upshot of being a muso is that Blake has picked up a sense of musicality; he adjusts his tapping to be in time to the music (a friend yesterday asked me how a toddler can play a drum in time to music ~ the answer is 'easily' if one has paid attention to their musical education and harnessed it from very early on).  Blake became obsessed with 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' or the 'Alphabet Song' tune, if you prefer, and recognisably sung it, almost in tune, from the start of this year.  Obsessively.  Over, and over, and over (and over and over) for a fortnight.  It was the first thing he did upon waking, and his 'default sound' for ages.  He's still not perfected his pitch, but does get the timing and most of the notes right, which is pretty good for his age.  Now he just needs to work on his 'voice...and 'sing' rather than 'hum'!

Blake playing the mini piano at around 12mo (10.5mo CA)

If you want your baby to pick up rhythm, generally speaking,  tap the rhythm on any part of their body with a spare hand whenever you are listening to, singing, or making music.  This blog is not supposed to be about any kind of advice; it is purely my notes on my child, and I will avoid any comparisons to other kids where possible...but I suppose a few tips on things I know to work or help in teaching toddlers won't go completely astray.

Music is a great way to enjoy time with toddlers; it focuses, teaches, and enlivens them ~ it is a great inclusion into their lives wherever possible...and you will usually have a captive audience who won't care if you are a little off-tune or off-beat ~ unlike any other audience in the world!  In fact, the more offbeat your compositions, the better!