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It was a cold and soggy winter evening. The clock struck 5:30. I heard my daughter's voice, arguing with her dad about something. I narrowed my eyes and pulled up my invisible antenna to catch a few words from their conversation. It was vague. I stood up to prepare my self for the storm that was going to land through the main door. Within a few seconds, I heard my daughter's most favorite words "I don't want it, Daddy!" One day, I had planned to count how many times she used that phrase in a day.But, I lost track only after a few times.
I opened the door and my three-year-old darling daughter came running with her dad and dived into my arms. I tried to remove her shoe and she whined: "Why you helping me Mamma?" I stopped and waited patiently until she requested me to help. I questioned, "Are you hungry?" Her immediate reply was "Nopes!, I am not hungry!" "Okay, let me get your Dinner ready!" I chimed ignoring her usual reply and left to arrange her meal.
Seldom, I wonder how her daily routine is different than mine from my childhood, even my Mamahood. She wakes up in the morning, eats her breakfast, gets ready and goes to school. In the evening, she eats her dinner just after returning from school, then plays/studies and then takes her bath at night. Afterwards, she takes her snacks like cookie-milk or fruits and then she sleeps. Whereas, I have always learned and practiced a bath before Lunch. At 5:30 in the evening, I never imagined taking my dinner. It's been my cookie time. But, I guess, we practice what suits us best and that only becomes a routine with time.
As I was putting her dinner on the table, she eyed to check what all were there to finish. Suddenly she giggled "See, Daddy singing"! My husband was making his tea and was humming a song. I listened carefully to figure out the song. I could not help sighing. It's my daughter's recent favorite"Ants go marching one by one, Hurrah Hurrah". Yes, that's what has happened to our song vocabulary. We don't know any song other than our daughter's rhymes. But there is something in those tunes, you can really get addicted to!
Apart from the eternal ones that I also learned in my childhood, there are a few rhymes which my daughter taught me and I could not stop chanting. When my daughter started her infant daycare, she used to hum a tune which was not familiar to me. She was a year and few months old then. I asked her to repeat the song to guess what she was singing. But what was constant in all those times was only the tune and I could not google that tune. Then one day, while dropping her in the morning, I heard that tune playing on a record. I stopped to listen to the verses and after coming back home I googled for it. In the evening, once she is back, I played the tune and she was thrilled. I wondered how a song or a tune can catch a child's attention.
Today I thought of putting all those songs and rhymes together, that is beyond "Twinkle Twinkle little star". My daughter taught me a few of them. These are the ones that she picked from her daycare or school or library story time and we always sing them together. What can be the best way of teaching an infant or a toddler other than music?
1. Barbara Milne Phonic song: This has to be the first one. This is the song I was talking about, the first song that I learned from my daughter. I know, in the coming years, there will a be a lot many things that I will be learning from her. But, this one is my first.
I always believe that teaching through music is the best way for educating infants. At least, it worked out for me. At 3 years, my daughter sings all the songs that I sing. The only difference is her ABC song says "Ello Mano P" and mine says "LMNOP".
2. Slippery Fish
My next favorite is "Slippery Fish". One day, when my daughter was two and something, she came back home all excited to tell me about the new song. I could not make out anything from the song apart from "Oh No!" when she cupped her face in her two tiny hands and tried to wear an expression for fear, I guess. It was adorable! The "fish" and with the "oh no" I was able to google it soon and I was caught by the tune the very moment. What it teaches a Kid? I could not comment on that. Maybe the Life Cycle or something about life? But I loved that way she sang that song and the pretense of fear that she recently learned.
3. Baby Shark
This is another one that she picked from her school. The first time she sang it, it was only the word "Shark" and lots of "dddddddddooooooooo". She opened her finger for the baby part, her palms for the Mamma part and she was jumping for the Grandpa part. But again that catchy tune just got me. I found myself doing that "dooooddooooo" the whole day!
4. Zoom Zoom Zoom
We heard this song for the first time in the library story time. All the kids were doing the "Zoom Zoom Zoom" and at "Blastoff", they we jumping as high as they could.The tune caught with all the excitement and the giggles just made it to this list. On the internet, I did not get the version that we learned and this one is the nearest that I liked.
5. One little Finger
I can't really remember where we learned this song from. It might be from her school. But we hear it in most of the story times in our local library. I think this one is really good for the younger ones to teach their body parts. I remember, how my little one used to wait in apprehension which part I am going to touch next and chuckled each time I touched her nose or tummy or her knees. Now, she sings this song for her mini mouse and teddy and sometimes for me.
6. Up to the Ceiling:
7. Tiny Tim
This is another song that we recently learned in the Library story time. A song with something to act on is always any kid's favorite and this song has some good potential.
8. Ants go marching one by one
Some Marching exercise while learning the numbers is fun for kids. My daughter keeps on marching while singing this song and actually sucks her tumb for one and ties her shoes as the little ant at two.
9. Finger Family
This list can be endless. But I decided to end it at 10 and to put the last two songs which I have heard countless times with lots of variations from my daughter. She sings this Daddy Finger and Mamma finger song with lots of modulations in her voice. At first, the baby finger was "Oli" finger(Oli is my daughter's nickname) and after she turned three, "the Oli" finger soon became the Sister finger since she is no more a baby.
10. Wheels on the bus:
I an not sure if any kid is there who does not like this song.There are so many things you can do with this song! My daughter liked this song when she was not even one and now when she is three years, still she adores this song.
If you like Music and looking for some interactive songs, try out this playlist. There are a lot more songs which are an interesting and fun way of teaching. But here, I picked the top 10 from my daughter's list. Practice some rhythm, hand motions, numbers and alphabets coated with giggles. Believe me or not, these tunes can help to turn off your mind and will let you relax. Give it a try!
I opened the door and my three-year-old darling daughter came running with her dad and dived into my arms. I tried to remove her shoe and she whined: "Why you helping me Mamma?" I stopped and waited patiently until she requested me to help. I questioned, "Are you hungry?" Her immediate reply was "Nopes!, I am not hungry!" "Okay, let me get your Dinner ready!" I chimed ignoring her usual reply and left to arrange her meal.
Seldom, I wonder how her daily routine is different than mine from my childhood, even my Mamahood. She wakes up in the morning, eats her breakfast, gets ready and goes to school. In the evening, she eats her dinner just after returning from school, then plays/studies and then takes her bath at night. Afterwards, she takes her snacks like cookie-milk or fruits and then she sleeps. Whereas, I have always learned and practiced a bath before Lunch. At 5:30 in the evening, I never imagined taking my dinner. It's been my cookie time. But, I guess, we practice what suits us best and that only becomes a routine with time.
As I was putting her dinner on the table, she eyed to check what all were there to finish. Suddenly she giggled "See, Daddy singing"! My husband was making his tea and was humming a song. I listened carefully to figure out the song. I could not help sighing. It's my daughter's recent favorite"Ants go marching one by one, Hurrah Hurrah". Yes, that's what has happened to our song vocabulary. We don't know any song other than our daughter's rhymes. But there is something in those tunes, you can really get addicted to!
Apart from the eternal ones that I also learned in my childhood, there are a few rhymes which my daughter taught me and I could not stop chanting. When my daughter started her infant daycare, she used to hum a tune which was not familiar to me. She was a year and few months old then. I asked her to repeat the song to guess what she was singing. But what was constant in all those times was only the tune and I could not google that tune. Then one day, while dropping her in the morning, I heard that tune playing on a record. I stopped to listen to the verses and after coming back home I googled for it. In the evening, once she is back, I played the tune and she was thrilled. I wondered how a song or a tune can catch a child's attention.
Today I thought of putting all those songs and rhymes together, that is beyond "Twinkle Twinkle little star". My daughter taught me a few of them. These are the ones that she picked from her daycare or school or library story time and we always sing them together. What can be the best way of teaching an infant or a toddler other than music?
1. Barbara Milne Phonic song: This has to be the first one. This is the song I was talking about, the first song that I learned from my daughter. I know, in the coming years, there will a be a lot many things that I will be learning from her. But, this one is my first.
2. Slippery Fish
My next favorite is "Slippery Fish". One day, when my daughter was two and something, she came back home all excited to tell me about the new song. I could not make out anything from the song apart from "Oh No!" when she cupped her face in her two tiny hands and tried to wear an expression for fear, I guess. It was adorable! The "fish" and with the "oh no" I was able to google it soon and I was caught by the tune the very moment. What it teaches a Kid? I could not comment on that. Maybe the Life Cycle or something about life? But I loved that way she sang that song and the pretense of fear that she recently learned.
This is another one that she picked from her school. The first time she sang it, it was only the word "Shark" and lots of "dddddddddooooooooo". She opened her finger for the baby part, her palms for the Mamma part and she was jumping for the Grandpa part. But again that catchy tune just got me. I found myself doing that "dooooddooooo" the whole day!
We heard this song for the first time in the library story time. All the kids were doing the "Zoom Zoom Zoom" and at "Blastoff", they we jumping as high as they could.The tune caught with all the excitement and the giggles just made it to this list. On the internet, I did not get the version that we learned and this one is the nearest that I liked.
I can't really remember where we learned this song from. It might be from her school. But we hear it in most of the story times in our local library. I think this one is really good for the younger ones to teach their body parts. I remember, how my little one used to wait in apprehension which part I am going to touch next and chuckled each time I touched her nose or tummy or her knees. Now, she sings this song for her mini mouse and teddy and sometimes for me.
This is a more extended version of the ABC Song and my daughter sang it very clearly one evening after coming back from her school. I didn't have to look it up since it was clear and with all the hands' movements. I learned it immediately. Though the right-hand and left-hand signal was not quite right in the initial days, soon, she started doing it all correct. In the web, I got the version that she actually does and I guess, this is how she learned in her school."Up to the Ceiling, down to the floor,Left to the Window, Right to the Door.Dady kiss me, Mamma Hugs me,for I know my ABCs"
This is another song that we recently learned in the Library story time. A song with something to act on is always any kid's favorite and this song has some good potential.
Some Marching exercise while learning the numbers is fun for kids. My daughter keeps on marching while singing this song and actually sucks her tumb for one and ties her shoes as the little ant at two.
This list can be endless. But I decided to end it at 10 and to put the last two songs which I have heard countless times with lots of variations from my daughter. She sings this Daddy Finger and Mamma finger song with lots of modulations in her voice. At first, the baby finger was "Oli" finger(Oli is my daughter's nickname) and after she turned three, "the Oli" finger soon became the Sister finger since she is no more a baby.
I an not sure if any kid is there who does not like this song.There are so many things you can do with this song! My daughter liked this song when she was not even one and now when she is three years, still she adores this song.
