Here are some quick tips to help your family get into a productive, positive daily groove without screens.
Routines bring motivation, productivity, comfort, and even relaxation. And musical routines can help secure healthy morning and evenings to jumpstart success.
Morning Routines
Predictable routines can help to turn the typical chaos of school/work mornings into more of a comforting pattern. It’s not about taking away freedom or choice, it’s about funneling everyone’s energies into productive activities. After all, each person has the same things to accomplish: wake up, eat something, brush teeth, get dressed, gather belongings, and head out the door.
At Kindermusik®, we often think about life from a musical perspective. A busy morning should resemble a well-executed dance, with everyone doing the right moves at the right time. And the best way to set the mood for a dance? A happy tune, of course! Here are some bouncy Kindermusik tunes you might consider playing each morning. They will quickly make the annoying chime of your alarm a dim memory.
Who’s That Looking in the Mirror?
A morning song can become the glue that holds your family together as you busily accomplish what needs to be done. It’s a predictable cue that gets everyone on the right track as they begin the day, and its familiarity immediately unlocks the comfort associated with routine.
Evening Routines
Whereas school/workday morning routines are focused on getting everyone up and looking forward to what’s ahead, evening routines are centered on winding down the day. Tiredness and grumpiness often go hand-in-hand, and one wonderful thing music can do is shift that mood to something a bit, ummm, nicer.
When it’s time to clean up, pick up, and set things in order, try playing these songs to motivate everyone to pitch in more happily.
Do As I’m Doing
And when it’s time to wind down and snuggle comfortably in bed? Predictable lullabies cue heart, body, and mind to enter a state of rest. It’s been scientifically proven that lullabies can promote relaxation by reducing heart rates and lowering anxiety levels. One of the most interesting findings of this study notes that live performance (as in, an adult singing the lullaby to the child) is much more effective at fostering relaxation than the act of pushing PLAY on a device. So, even though we’re putting a link to our version of the familiar “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” song here, we encourage you to actually sing it yourself, letting your child see your reassuring face.
Would you like to learn more about the importance of family routines? Join us at a Kindermusik class near you for more music, learning, and fun.
Find a class near you, or get more information about Kindermusik offerings at Kindermusik.com.
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