Moms Talk: Tuning in to Family

They say music soothes the soul, but what works for your family? 

Is it important for kids to learn how to play an instrument? Is music something you appreciate as a family, or do you have individual tastes? 

How do you regulate music in your family with some of the more scandalous lyrics out there? 

Lisa May
We love all kinds of music in our house! My oldest plays the violin and will be playing the clarinet this year. She enjoys preparing songs to play when we have friends and family over. My son is learning guitar (my husband is teaching him) and is also interested in the violin. We will see where this school year takes us for lessons. 

As for the radio, I listen to a variety with them. I try to mix it up and switch the station when an inappropriate song comes on. The children know what they can and can't watch relating to music videos on television. The oldest two have radios in their room, but mostly listen to music CDs. My daughter loves Taylor Swift. We have also begun to download music from Amazon for my daughter's mp3 player. We can sample before purchasing to make sure we approve. Music can bring so much pleasure to a home and make it feel as such. The sound of my daughter practicing always puts a smile on my face. 

Jennifer AuBuchon
Music is extremely important in our family. My husband has the most varied taste in music, and my kids seem to be following in his footsteps in that regard. Fortunately, my kids don't battle me too much on choosing the "clean" versions on songs they download from iTunes and they have a natural affinity for praise music. One of our favorite stations is Joy FM, but we listen to Z107.7 as well.  

Even though I feel it's better for us to fill our heads with meaningful lyrics full of hope and joy, it's also important to know the pulse of the world around us. You can't reach out to a world you're completely out of touch with. 

As for playing music, both of my kids take piano lessons and have for many years. My daughter started taking guitar lessons last year, too. My son is leaning toward joining the band next year in middle school. He says he wants to do percussion so he can play the piano and I'm nervous that there may be a drum set in our future.

One of my greatest pleasures is when they are playing music in our home. As a former teacher, I think music can be used in so many ways. It helps kids make connections in learning, it helps them retain information, and helps them have an appreciation for new and different things just to name a few.

Jenny Wescoat
Music is one of the areas where we can see a stark contrast between our kids. While my son hardly ever finds a song he wants to sing along to, my daughters are like walking radios. My 4-year-old never stops singing and dancing, and my 1-year-old is seeming to follow right in her footsteps, trying to sing along to every song on the radio in her baby words and dances whenever she hears a beat.  

My kids have not started a musical instrument yet. My sister-in-law is a gifted pianist and will give lessons when they are ready, but she recommends that parents wait until their kids ask for lessons. I did dance from the time I was a toddler until I went to college and played in band from fifth grade on, so I would be thrilled if they became interested in playing something.  

My husband keeps us laughing because he always knows the lyrics to the newest songs, and he and the girls often hold dance parties in our living room after dinner. I am looking forward to seeing how their preferences play out as they get older!

Samantha Goswami
We all love music at our home. My younger son is learning the piano. It is said that music and math go hand in hand and I totally believe this. It is so important to listen to music and sing. My older son wants to learn the violin and we plan on starting that in the next year. I used to play the piano and have done several exams, however, life took over and I did not continue as I got into college.   

We try and listen to all types of music. When it comes to the newer songs, I am afraid I only know what my kids sing. We also try to listen to songs in other languages. While we cannot understand all the lyrics it is amazing to hear the emotion in the song from which you can gauge the mood of the song.