We Love Kindermusik

It's "We Love Kindermusik" week, and famililes around the country are helping us celebrate! Leave us a note on our facebook page to tell us what your family loves about Kindermusik!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Simply "Be"!

I love the simplicity and freedom that children enjoy. They live each moment without a thought or concern of what the next moment will bring. We could learn a thing or two from that. We get so consumed with the details of our daily responsibilities and time constraints, that we forget to simply enjoy being in the moment with our children. Think you've mastered this skill? Take this quick test, and find out.

1. You are leaving for a quick trip to the grocery store, and your toddler begins to insist on buckling her seat belt herself. You...

A. tell her you don't have time today. She can try next time. 
B. give her a couple of seconds to try on her own, before buckling it for her
C. wait as long as it takes for her to finish and celebrate the accomplishment.

    2.  You are surfing the net, and your 7 year old comes up to ask you a question. You...

A. ask him to come back later.
B. quickly answer the question without looking up.
C. stop what your doing, look into your child's eyes while listening, and then answer him.

    3.  You pick up your child from school, and just as she begins to tell you about her day, your cell phone rings. It's a friend that hasn't called you in a while. You...

A. answer the phone.
B. say "excuse me a moment" to your child and then answer the phone.
C. hit the silence button on the phone, so that you can better hear your child.

    4. You take your child to a library story time or other enrichment program where your friend also attends. You...

A. spend the whole time talking with your friend while your child plays with the other children.
B. interact with your child when you see they need assistance participating properly.
C. and your friend focus on enjoying each activity with your children together.

How did you do? If you chose 3-4 "C" answers, you are likely making the most of every opportunity to enjoy your children as they grow! If you had only 2 "C" answers, don't sweat it. There simply may be some times in your day that you need to re-focus. If you had 0-1 "C" answers, I challenge you to watch your child today and remind yourself how to live in the moment.

Sibling Rivalry

As a home school family, I spend a great deal of time around my children. We have a great time learning together, but, like any other family, we also have days where disputes arise. I have come to learn that no matter where you're from or how you raise your children, the fact of the matter is that sibling rivalry is sure to raise its surly head! Conflict resolution is an important skill that children need to learn to succeed in life. However, it's easy to feel frustrated when your working though this with your children because you don't want to appear to be "taking sides". Here are a few pointers I picked up from the James Dobson book, The New Strong-Willed Child.

• Don't inflame the natural jealousy that your children feel by comparing them to each other.
• Establish a workable system of justice at home. In other words, you should have reasonable rules that protect each family member an ensure their fair treatment, then consistently enforce those rules.
• Recognize that the hidden "target" of sibling rivalry is you! The bickering may be an attempt to capture more attention.

I hope it will help smooth the rough edges in your household as your children grow and learn how to successfully work with those around them.

Kindermusik Village - Sneak Peak

Our spring Kindermusik classes are now enrolling! Not sure what we do in a Kindermusik class? Here's a sneak peak of a Kindermusik Village class for babies up to 18 months old. It's so amazing to watch such young children respond to the power of music! You can view our full class schedule by clicking here.

A Parent's Thoughts

We are approaching our 9th birthday here at Delightful Sounds. Sometimes it boggles my brain when I sit and think of all the families I have met over those nine years. There are so many special faces and names that come to mind. I can recall favorite songs and activities that stand out in my mind. I even remember dancing the tango-cha-cha in Do-Si-Do with baby Jack S. who is now well into elementary school! I was recently talking with a parent from another Kindermusik program. She had moved here in the last few months from Alaska and was recalling fondly when her children were young enough to attend Kindermusik there. "What did you like most about your time in Kindermusik?" I asked. I suspected that her answer would be something about bonding while having fun with her children or the developmental benefits that it provided. "Those were great," she said. "But I loved the heritage it's preserving most of all."  In this world of high speed technology and information, she enjoyed slowing down to sing nursery rhymes and folk songs that had been handed down from one generation to the next for hundreds of years. There is a wholesomeness and affability that comes with this heritage, and I agree it is worth preserving. Do you think you know your nursery rhymes? Click here for a fun nursery rhyme quiz! If you find you need to brush up on a few rhymes, I know where there is a great Kindermusik class! :)

A special thank you!

National Adoption month is almost over, and I couldn't let it pass before thanking those who chose life so that their precious children could be loved and cherished by an adoptive family. I know it could not have been an easy decision, but as an aunt to 2 beautiful adopted boys, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Of horses, children, and all things teachable

Recently, I took my daughters on a field trip to Forever Florida to learn more about Florida's cattle history and horsemanship. While there, we participated in a horse training session. During the session, positive behavior was reinforced with a treat or verbal praise, and negative behavior was redirected. Within about 15 minutes we had trained one horse to yawn on command and another to roll a ball back to you. I was intrigued because I use this same technique in my Kindermusik classroom each week! Positive reinforcement can start with a small treat or verbal praise each time the desired outcome is achieved. The rewards will then begin to decrease as the new habit begins to form. There are a number of reasons that positive reinforcements works.

• It supports what the child is doing right instead of focusing on what the child is doing wrong.
• It increases the odds that your child will behave in that manner again.
• It encourages your child's positive choices when you "catch them being good".

Positive reinforcement is nothing new to parents, but we often get so busy that we miss the opportunity. If we're not careful, we may only notice when the behavior has become undesirable. When that happens, it's important to redirect your child back to the original goal and reinforce the appropriate behavior once it occurs. I'm sure they will be galloping to success in no time flat! ;)

You might be a home schooler...

As I walked through my home the other day, I noticed a quilt thrown in a pile on the floor of my music room. With a sigh and a mumble of "wishing people would just learn to put things away", I reached to fold it up. I stopped, however, as I realized that there was something more going on with that quilt. It had become a classroom. A crack along the edge of the quilt was allowing in just enough light for a 4th grade reading class to exist beneath its quiet shroud. As a home school family, this behavior is not that unusual for us. However, I venture to say that most of you don't realize that you are home schoolers too!

Webster's dictionary defines a classroom as "a place where classes meet". To many this looks like a room with 4 walls, desks, and children seated in neat and tidy rows, but I believe a classroom is better defined as "a place where learning occurs".  Realistically, learning can take place anywhere at anytime. You might learn about math or nutrition on a trip to the grocery store. Little ones learn phonics and other pre-reading skills simply by singing silly songs with you in the car. Maybe you've even found yourself explaining the concepts of momentum and physics while playing ball with your children. (although you might not have used the technical jargon! LOL)

The point I'm trying to make here is that just because your child is enrolled at a traditional school or is too young to go to school yet, YOU are always going to be your child's most important teacher. It doesn't matter what your educational background is like. No one knows your child better than you do. No one has the vested interest that you have to ensure your child's success in life. Teachers can have an amazing impact on their students. It's one of the reasons I love my job as a Kindermusik teacher so much, but I truly believe some of the most important skills your child will ever learn will come from you as you guide them through everyday life. So embrace your "homeschooliness" and enjoy learning with your children each day!