Toddlers and Music Appreciation

A while back when I was pregnant a friend and mother of two advised me that from the very beginning, to help reduce the amount of "I want all the time" nursery rhymes morning, noon and night, to try and start with my music favorites to encourage Sarah's interest and music diversity.
This concept seemed all well and good except that when I tried some of my favorites and even music generally all Sarah wanted was nursery rhymes. Morning, noon and night.

I love how Sarah knows her nursery rhymes, tries to sing them on her own and even knows what the next song will be coming up on the CD or iPod.

Over the summer during a visit with Grandma we saw an outdoor classical music concert together, and Sarah seemed to like it. This, coupled with Sarah's weekly exposure to live music at school and home, Sarah has grown a fondness for classical music. While I stink at the guitar and Daddy dawdles on the keyboard, Sarah has developed an appreciation for these instruments as well as the violin, which she cutely calls the "wyolin."

Recently, Sarah grew an immense appreciation for one of my favorite musical genres, classical. Yeah!!! For the past month while we have still had some nursery rhymes chiming through our home there's a whole lot more classical music filling the air, with her favorite instrument choices, ever more frequently.

I have certainly learned as a parent, no matter how much you want to expose your child to something you want them to grow interest in and hopes they will pick it up, children really will decide on their own what is most appealing. I am just so thrilled that at least one my favorite musical genres, of the many, is back in the air at home and in the car, with Sarah making requests often for songs featuring guitars (yeah Auntie Mandy), violins and piano's, the latter which Sarah calls "pinanano."

Keep the music playing and soon enough your children will tell you what they want to hear.

Enjoy the music!!!