Returning to Joy

Mr. N smiles with encouragement and comfort from Mom

In my Wednesday morning Bible study I've been learning about being a mature person.  Let me explain that further. Not being a person of advancing age. Not being a person who "acts like an adult." But learning to be a person who can return to joy when life doesn't hand out joy filled circumstances. Even when the circumstances are painful and traumatic.  We read a vital book titled The Life Model: Learning to Live from the Heart that Jesus Gave You.   Through this book and another workbook we learned that babies from birth to three years need to be with people who love them, who look in their faces and affirm them, who value them for who they are, who help them to return to joy when they are sad, shamed, fearful, hurt or wounded.  Each time we help them return to joy we are building in them the capacity to learn to do that themselves. Each time they build capacity their brain actually signals their body to act differently, to calm, to center, to relax.  


Let's think about this just in Baby Music class.  Let's say that your child comes to class and finds a new circumstance--a new class member, an observer, a new classroom, one of the teachers is out for the day, etc. Baby reacts by crying, with shyness, showing insecurity in other ways.  What is the best action?

• Comfort Baby by holding and talking softly
• Take Baby into the hall or just aside in the room for a moment of quiet and comfort
• Distract Baby with the music or words or activities under way at the moment
• Remember that the goal is to quiet the baby and return Baby to joy, rather than to get Baby to perform or to participate.  That will come later.
• Be aware that if Baby is watching or listening, even while not participating, that he/she is learning more than you may imagine
• Arrive in time for ball rolling, a quietly centered activity.
• While playing the Songs & Lullabies CD at home, try to reproduce some of the activities, motions, words, or just talk about the other children in the class and what they like to do with those songs. Make an association for your child that brings joy.  If they see that you are joyful about the class chances are better that they will be also.  
• Listen to the CD yourself and try to memorize one song or rhyme each week.  Repeat this often with your Baby at fun times like bathing or diapering or swinging or riding in the car.  Let them know that you like the sounds of the songs and rhymes too.
• Choose one of your Baby's favorite activities at home--watching a signing times DVD, or PBS show, or bath time, or playtime--and silently "model" the motions to one of the rhymes.  Criss Cross, 1-2 Tie my Shoe, Mulberry Bush actions are places to begin.  Smile and let Baby know that this is FUN!  Reach high and low to indicate pitches in a song.  Dance.  Use these times to return the Baby to joy.  

Not only are you contributing to your little ones' education in music and language, but you are also building in them the capacity to withstand and endure life's hard times.  Remember: 

ENCOURAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS CRITICAL

Grandmother Bridge

Today in music class we had the Grandmothers make a scarf bridge while the little ones danced under and through it.  The Minuet played on the iPod dock and we all danced with our scarves. 

Some of us forgot to take our scarves with us under the bridge and others decided to take a little break.

Today I read The Carrot Seed and reminded each person of how a sprout of talent is growing as they water and weed at home.  I noticed some amazing "firsts" today as well:

• K allowed me to assist her while her grandmother tended her little sister
• Mr. A was very soft with the mallets for Falling Thirds. He also has an amazing sense of the order of activities in the class and anticipates them.
• Miss A played up the scale on the glock with almost no assistance.
• Miss B was very tired, and today was her birthday, but she became very interested in dancing and in helping to stack the drums.  
• Baby P lit up like a light bulb with each activity with a mallet!

Fun Day

As the morning class fills with more children we have more and more fun. Three or four grandmas are bringing their granddaughters, and one comes with a grandson. Another mom comes as often as she can with her daughter, and one mom comes weekly with her fairy daughter.  I call her that because she is so tiny, with big eyes and looks like she would be perfect with a wand in her hand as she holds the mallets and plays.

Each week I see progress in learning. Today I observed that "Children learn from other children" and "Practice makes Permanent."   Since my partner, Caitlin, is teaching at a permanent sub job in the public school general music program, I have the morning class alone.  The children who have been coming showed the new student, K, how to sit down in the circle and not stand all the time.  They also taught her how to take turns.  It was fascinating to see that A, the lonely little boy, knew when it was time to use the drum. He brought it to me!  And he also modeled perfectly how to sit and play the xylophone.  Little girl A was a model of quiet behavior.  Little girl B, whose Mom is probably a tiny bit frustrated with her lack of participation, actually almost played the xylophone alone and was exceptionally engaged in dancing with the scarves, which also translated well to the other children.  Each one who has practiced sharing turns showed much discipline in that today. The other discipline I noticed was that those who have attended before began folding the scarves when the music finished. And yet another discipline was in putting the mallets away at the end of playing Scrambled Eggs.  Practice=Discipline=Permanent.

Hey y'all!  Children learn from other children!  Keep playing your CD's on the days that you eat.