how often do you sing and dance with your little ones?

[Myztiks#1Fan]

so do you sing and dance around with your children? music is a wonderful thing for all children and helps them to grow and learn in many different ways.

today at the parenting course i am currently doing, music was the focus of the day and coop wasnt interested at all. normally he is very involved in the activities that we have been doing and participates extremely well however today he wasnt interested and i was a bit lost as to how to initiate song and dance as its something we never really did together.

so tell me, am i the only one who doesnt do this whole song and dance thing or am i not alone out there?

[sockstealingpoltergeist]

We sing and dance all the time here.

I often make up ridiculous songs or change the words of songs too.

[MothersMilk]

All the time :D
I love singing and dancing with my DD - we are both just as unco as each other and have great fun.
I make up songs all the time also - i can turn any boring task around by adding a poorly sung made up song to it :laughing:

[megaminz]

Hey lovely :wave:

I have to admit its not something that comes naturally to me, I prob do it more as a distraction technique like when we are waiting somewhere and he gets impatient or in the car on the way home

But I try to be aware of playing with music more, I usually sing to him at bed time as a soothing thing or in the bath but not so much as play...he is never in one place long enough for that...too many cats to chase to many dog biscuits to eat

[MummaBear03]

Constantly, but I guess music is a huge part of our lives anyway with my brother being a solo artist and DD learning so many songs that she is singing and playing on the electric guitar. We make up songs, too, it's so much fun.

[MummaMilk]

Oh we love it :goodvibes: nothing better then having DS2 in the Mai Tie on my front and dancing with DS1 to music we love it LOVE IT!!! DS1 is such a groover yesterday he was dancing to Amazing by Janelle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuR-5NVulbM) and I was bawling my eyes out and laughing at the same time.

[Nomsie]

Oh yes :yes:

All the time. I put on iTunes while they eat (because the computer is right next to their highchairs) and L dances in his highchair.

I have always sung to them, firstly to help them sleep (which I still do now) but also just nursery rhymes, silly songs and anything thats on my mind.

L has really gotten into his dancing lately- he will be sitting on the floor playing, and a song might come on the tv or something and he will get up and dance. We call it doing the "dancey-dance" (A reference to Yo Gabba Gabba) and it is so cute a gorgeous. B is a bit more reserved in his dancing, doesn't get a groove on like his bro, but he still enjoys the tunes :)

:yelclap: We love music here!

[bada]

We sing and dance all the time here.

I often make up ridiculous songs or change the words of songs too. Us too, but I'd be so embarrassed to do it in front of outsiders, I find that part of our playgroup a bit daunting tbh. So I would hate to be in your position. Good luck with it though.

[Myztiks#1Fan]

glad i am not the only one it doesnt come to naturally megaminz. i would chuck on music for coop and what not but its not something we actively participated in together.

music can help in so many ways with learning and i am upset i never realised this. there are so many things that can make an impact on a childs learning and i think music is a huge one whether it be just making up silly songs or singing nursery rhymes together or even listening to my favourite music together. music can bring out so much confidence in a child and i wish i realised earlier.

i will now be taking more of an active approach in music with coop esp as we were given a cd for each child and the one we were given has many nusery rhymes and hopefully many hours of fun together

[Mrs Nietzsche]

All the time, often due to the fact that is distracts DS from his sometimes incessant screeching.

I too have ridiculous songs, ie the dinner song 'yum yum in the tum tum for the bum bum'

My first husband used to sing to my daughter when toilet training.. 'who helps DD with poos and wees and wiping bummm!!!! daddy doesss!!'

I also have a box of musical instruments which are a lifesaver as they are the only toys DS has any interest in and always work to distract him when i am bf hte baby

[Myztiks#1Fan]

Us too, but I'd be so embarrassed to do it in front of outsiders, I find that part of our playgroup a bit daunting tbh. So I would hate to be in your position. Good luck with it though.

we get video taped every week and in teh end we will recieve a video of all the weeks we have been taped. its great to look at the tapes as it shows how you interact with your child etc and it has definately helped me in interacting with coop differently. also shows you things you might not notice like the different facial expressions on the kids, the smiles you might miss etc etc

[threechooks]

Yes, I sing to him every night as I tuck him in and we dance all the time.

[kar]

I'm not a natural at this but we also danced and danced with our screamer. From 5pm every day. Now I do make up stupid songs all day without thinking about it but don't do much conscious music or dance time. F just wants to head off and explore ATM anyway

[NonnyMouse]

Daily! I used to be a singer many years ago and DP also has just a fantastic timbre to his voice, so between the two of us there's always singing, humming or whistling in the house... usually two different tunes at once hehe

Dancing is usualy once a day when I need to burn off some energy o rdo the dusting, as I put on my favourite energising music, grab DS and we dance our way through the house.

[nothanksbye]

we have dance parties every night while cooking dinner.

we listen to different styles every night and DD and DS have to come up with how you would dance to it.

Lol its very funny...last night we did punk...

The kids went wild. hahahah

Music is always on in our house and in the car.
we have kids cds like peter combes and cds I make.

DS makes up songs all the time.
He also comes up with new words...

Like Britney oops i did it again..
He sings OOps I did it again
I made you believe I'm an elephants friend

At bedtime every night we sing the goodbye song from the big blue house.
at bath time we sing baby baluga

In the car we sing baby you can drive my car..

Its just endless lol

[workin'mumof2]

all the time because seth can sing/hum better then he can speak. he memorises songs from tv shows and sings it before its on. its scary.. he learns so much more when we sing or have a little tune to it.

[Babblings]

Every single day. We have a time together each day that is dedicated to music, singing & dance. Ds thrives on it and it is something i have always done with him. I feel it is an important part of their development.

[melbryan]

Every day we pump up the music and dance around the lounge. The kids laugh and be silly it is so fun and they love being swung around. We have so many kids we get in a circle and one dances in the middle while we clap, like a dance comp. they are classic and really crack me up.

[BabelFish]

Pretty much every day. But then, I am an ex-dancer and musician and DP is an actor. There is always some kind of performing going on in our house. :laughing:

[PeppaH]

Yeah DS and me are always dancing and being silly together lol Even today at the shops a good song came on so I picked him up and started dancing around the store lmao.:santa:

I cant help but dance when a good song comes on haha

[Leisa21]

I've sung to DS from the second I found out I was pregnant. I'm not an overly calm person by nature and its calmed me down. It helped me stay calm during pregnancy and it came naturally when he was born. Instead of talking to him I sung to him. I sing lets go and get breakfast and silly things like that. When I'm saying something unpleasant to DH I sometimes sing it so DS doesn't catch on that I'm cross with Daddy because then DS gets mad at me:rolleyes:LOL.

Maybe just try with simple things like a few nursery rhymes that you know and take it from there. Or put the radio on and go for it. I love the radio but I do think they learn more from you personally singing because they can hear the words better and it helps with their imagination. Maybe sing what you're doing through the day and he'll pick up on it and you might find yourself busting out some awesome tunes before you know it. There's no need to be embarrassed either, it's just you and your son. I do it while we're out now and I can't sing at all, totally tone deaf but people smile and me or give me a wink. Today I was singing 10 green bottles while snuggling my boy off to sleep at white water world and everyone smiled or just did the awwww thing, and trust me, my voice sucks.

Good luck, I hope you can get Coop(and you) singing and dancing soon

[kezzaskids]

I sing and dance with my kids all day everyday! in the kitchen , in the bath while they are eating etc. Dancing sessions with cds etc happen at least once a day :) we love it.
I often get told off for making up crap songs and silly rhymes all the time.... :D If I sit on the floor and say sing song mara she will come and sit in front of me and clap her hands.

[MumNeedsCoffee]

Every day.

But DD has always responded to music.

I feel like my life is a musical sometimes.
I sing to her about everything we are doing.
And we dance around.

I just got back from my sisters and she has two young boys.
She put on the radio and they were playing musical charades.
Dancing around like an idiot, coming up with as many actions as she could think of to the song lyrics.

So much fun :)

[moozle]

DF and I are both Music teachers so music is a big part of our home. DF and I both sing to DS while he is having his bed-time bottle every night and we have music on almost ALL the time. Not just pop or kids stuff but all kinds of music - classical, Jazz, choral etc. DS just LOVES music. I sit with him and do nursery rhymes and songs every day too and we also play percussion instruments together to music several times a week, if not every day. This is probably not normal but we have a son who is very musical and he loves this time with us, so we do it :) If you don't have $$ for instruments, saucepans and woodern spoons work just as well and a bit of rice in a jar :yes:

[Nowhere]

daily, we tend to sing about everything lol, DD made up a sond about neocate to (when she was on neocate) to that song just dance will be ok. Kenz sings just dance neocate and she would sing that while i mixed her feed lol.

we sing while we get dressed and whhile we do meds and needles and dressing changes, and in the car hheheh

We also sing for fun, its rather amusing between me and my terible voice and DD sounding like a chipmunk we have a right old laugh.

[Mathermy]

I'm quite frequently asked to stop singing:eek::o!

and we were just now having a bit of a boogy to the vegetable song :)

[bubbasmum]

All the time here. Its a daily thing and usually very spontaneous.

[Ruby Slippers]

All the time ,
my little man is almost 3 years old he
loves Keith Urban
I play he's video clips in the lounge room,
so we both get the guitars out and sing and dance to Keith :)
This is one of the songs we love:
Keith Urban - Kiss A Girl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDs7taPjEp4)
and with my girls ages 13 and 10 years old ,
I dance around in the house just being goofy to there music :laughing:.
they think I'm slightly cool :cool:.

[Yummy_Mummy]

we contstantly sing & dance here DD cant get enough of it & i love it as it tires her out quicker :D

[Pinkzy]

I don't mean to get all deep and meaningful here...but I will anyway LOL :D. My mother was (still is) a fantastic mum, she raised both me and my brother unbelievably well as has my dad...but there was never any singing or dancing, not even when we were really little. I actually remember a few times I was told to "settle down" or "be quiet" when I would sing along to songs I liked as a child. To this day, at the age of almost 27, I still won't and can't sing in front of my mother unless it's in a mucking around sort of sense...and I actually find that quite sad. My mum probably does too if she's ever thought about it.

My 7 year old doesn't sing - but wow does she dance. I (and her father and other family members, including my parents) love going to watch her dance :) She doesn't sing because she's a very shy child by nature when it comes to that.

This time, from the minute I found I was pregnant I started singing to my son and will continue to do so when he's born and while he's growing. I intend to sing and dance as much as possible around him and will encourage him to do the same. I think doing this kind of thing with children really helps them with their self esteem and definitely with their confidence...plus there is nothing sweeter than seeing parents dance and sing with their little ones :)

[nugglyboysmum]

music is a constant for DS, I say he was born with the music in him!

He is constantly playing his toy instruments, or air guitar, singing songs or making them up, putting concerts on for me, if he hears a song in the car on the radio that he likes he will scream at me to turn it up then he will bop along to it, he often asks me to dance with him and we are always singing some song or other.

[Theophania]

Coop and I sing and dance all day, although it was a little embarrassing when the neighbor told me she could hear me *ahem* squealing :laughing:. To be honest I am sure I sound just as good as Whitney and its a matter of time before I am discovered for the talent I really am :p

[JJAZ]

Everyday!

We are always singing and dancing around the house - Neighbours must think we are crazy!!

DD1 is 4 and LOVES music she appreciates all types - which is lovely! :) I hope DD2 will be the same!!

[Refresh]

Yep....I am constantly singing AND dancing :D The kids love music....DH is a muso and plays his guitar for hours every night.

We play Singstar alot too :laughing:

[Shananaaah]

Coop and I sing and dance all day, although it was a little embarrassing when the neighbor told me she could hear me *ahem* squealing :laughing:. To be honest I am sure I sound just as good as Whitney and its a matter of time before I am discovered for the talent I really am :p

Hehehe - I get busted through my lounge room window by the people waiting at the bus stop across the road pretty much every day! (stupid plantation shutters!)

Whether it's singing and dancing, or being a robot (complete with box on my head), I'm sure they all catch the bus JUST so they can see what crazy antics I'm up to today! Mind you, DS has only just grown tall enough so they can see he is there with me participating too - I'm not just some crazy lady!!! :laughing:

[Theophania]

Hehehe - I get busted through my lounge room window by the people waiting at the bus stop across the road pretty much every day! (stupid plantation shutters!)

Whether it's singing and dancing, or being a robot (complete with box on my head), I'm sure they all catch the bus JUST so they can see what crazy antics I'm up to today! Mind you, DS has only just grown tall enough so they can see he is there with me participating too - I'm not just some crazy lady!!! :laughing:

:laughing::laughing: ROFL I would love to see that, imagine the conversations that have been had at the bus stop. You should walk over and start charging for the show

[BabyPaparazzi]

Everyday, multiple times, DD is 20mth and obsessed.

Even have cd in the car which we sing and dance to. Sure the other drivers think I am insane.:laughing:

[wecantwait]

Yep, definatly a silly singer here. My DS and I are always singing silly songs to my 1 year old DD, i've even got DH doing it now.

She bops along to any kind of music, its so funny. When she was younger i used to dance while i was holding her when she had bad wind and she loved it, or when it was 'witching hour' and all she felt like doing was screaming, i'd turn V channel on and dance around the lounge room holding her and singing to the songs :laughing: She loved it though. Both my kids love music and dance around. Everyone is different though and does different stuff, don't be worried. I hate playing board games with our 9 year old and always feel so bad about it..

[Mummita]

It didn't come naturally to me either at first. When DD was born I couldn't remember any kids songs or nursery rhymes so I just used to sing the ABC song to her as a distraction when I was changing her nappy.

But then gradually I remembered other songs and I bought a kid's cd which helped a lot. I also went to rhyme time at my local library. Now we sing all the time and both my kids love music, singing and movement and we have quite the repertoire of songs happening. DD and DS also learn lots of songs at pre-school and DD does dancing now too.

[blissfullybonkers]

i always have..not too sure how great i sound though :laughing: probably started before DD was born, but one of my best memories when she was little was going into her room to feed her and popping the radio on and 'snow' by RHCP would almost always come on, thats our song :D i used to rock her to sleep with the music on too.
I've always sang nursery rhymes to DD since she was tiny one of her faves is 'ring around the rosie' she loved doing that one when she was learning to stand, she'd crack up laughing everytime at the 'and we all fall down' bit...

these days DD sings and dances enough for both of us, and combine that with some of her musical instruments and her music CD's & DVD's(like Hi-5)....it can get pretty noisy :p

DD and I sing in the car too and the songs she likes she usually gets me to turn up louder(DD loves lily allen is that bad??)!!!