How Being a Music Therapist Has Helped Me Develop into a Higher Father or mother

Final week, I wrote a weblog put up about how being a dad or mum has helped me change into a greater music therapist. (There have been a couple of issues that got here up that even stunned me!)

This week, I wish to share how being a music therapist has helped me change into a greater dad or mum (oh let me depend the methods!)

Listed below are only a few:

I used songs to bond with my infants – Utilizing my coaching as a music therapist and with the encouragement from a sound birthing skilled (extra on that right here), I wrote a particular tune for every of my women. I sang that tune: whereas I used to be pregnant with them, whereas we did skin-to-skin within the working room, whereas within the hospital room after they have been born, and naturally all through the day at house. Being a skilled music therapist, I knew how necessary music was in bonding us through the first days and weeks of their little lives.

I take advantage of musical transitions and principally, music all through the day – When my kiddos have been actually younger, we used musical transitions at clear up time, supper time, and mattress time. Utilizing music throughout occasions of transitions is one thing I used to be very acquainted with as a music therapist working with youngsters, so it was straightforward for me to include this into our on a regular basis lives.

As they’ve gotten older, we’ve integrated music in different actually enjoyable and laid again methods. Some days it seems like an opera in our home. I’ll sing to my children “Would you want some milk?” and with out lacking a beat they’ll sing again “Sure I’d like some milk!” It’s so. a lot. enjoyable.

We additionally do piggyback songs and they’re going to chime proper in once I begin. It’s sometimes a piggyback to “Are You Sleeping?” as a result of the melody is straightforward and so they understand it effectively. However generally we’ll use different tune melodies and alter up the phrases. I really feel like my husband and I are coaching little mini music therapists!

My children have entry to all of the devices – I imply ALL the devices – I’ve bins and bins with my music remedy supplies. My women have been identified to run round with a duck quacker, rain stick, metal drum, ukulele, wind chimes, maraca, castanets. You identify it, they’ve in all probability performed it. I really like that as a result of I’m a music therapist, they’ve entry to this broad number of devices.

Vacation reveals on Zoom  – In the course of the pandemic, I used to be feeling a little bit glum as 4th of July approached final yr. In an effort to offer us one thing to stay up for (and to maintain my women creating their musical abilities), I arrange a patriotic vacation present for our household on Zoom. All of us wearing pink, white, and blue, and my husband, our women, and I performed a wide range of patriotic songs. We led our households throughout the nation in singing.

It ended up being a very big day, and we obtained a whole lot of constructive suggestions from our household about the way it lifted their spirits. So, we adopted our Patriotic Zoom Live performance up with a Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day Zoom Present.  I used the talents I had developed whereas working as a music therapist at United Cerebral Palsy of Miami, the place I deliberate many, MANY concert events and reveals for the youngsters and youths with particular wants.

I’d love to listen to from you.

How has being a music therapist made you a greater dad or mum (or vice versa)? Depart a remark under to tell us.