So Many Parents Feel Comfortable Teaching Reading and Math—But Not Singing and Music
- Nes Feiger
- Oct 4
- 3 min read
Most parents feel confident helping their little ones learn to count, recognize letters, or name colors. You don’t need to be a math teacher to play “How many apples do we have?” or an English teacher to read bedtime stories. These early experiences—counting, reading, rhyming—are seen as natural parts of parenting.
But when it comes to singing and music, many parents suddenly hesitate.You might think, “I’m not musical,” or “I can’t sing in tune.” Maybe you save music time for “real” classes or feel embarrassed to sing in front of your child.
Here’s the truth: your child doesn’t hear “good” or “bad” singing—they just need engagement, encouragement and bonding.
Music Belongs at Home, Too
Singing and music are some of the most powerful tools for early learning. In the first five years of life, your child’s brain is developing at incredible speed. Musical play helps strengthen memory, attention, emotional regulation, and even language skills. When you sing or make music, you’re doing so much more than making sound—you’re helping your child’s brain build connections for speech, rhythm, listening, and creativity.
Think about how naturally we use our voices with babies: lullabies, playful songs, little sound games. Those moments are already music education! You don’t need perfect pitch—you just need presence, repetition, and joy.
Everyday Objects Can Become Musical Tools
Many parents think they need real instruments or special materials to start, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are so many ways to include your child’s everyday toys in singing and music time.
For example:
Take a short book your child loves and make up a simple tune for the words. Turn it into a back-and-forth game—one phrase sung by you, the next by your child. This turns reading into musical storytelling and bonding time.
Use a spinning toy (so many families already have one!) for a fun singing game. When the toy spins, someone sings. When it stops, the singing stops.
Here’s how it can grow with your child:
Babies: You can spin the toy and sing as it moves, showing your baby how sound and motion connect. Try pausing your voice each time it slows down or stops—this helps your baby begin to understand musical timing.
Toddlers and preschoolers: Let them take charge! They can spin the toy and “challenge” you—each time it spins, you sing; when it stops, you pause. Soon they’ll want to try being the singer too, building self-expression, turn-taking, and confidence.
You can even explore rhythm and sound with household items—pans, spoons, cleaning gloves, containers filled with rice. It doesn’t take fancy gear to make music—it just takes you.
Rethinking Musical Toys
Many musical toys are bright and noisy, but often used randomly—without much purpose or connection. The magic happens when parents join in intentionally. On our social channels, I love showing how you can turn popular toys like play mats or toddler DJ booths into real mini instruments, playing short, recognizable tunes together. When you do this, you teach your child to listen, respond, and feel rhythm, not just press buttons.
Your voice adds meaning to the sounds they hear.
A Musical Home Is a Learning Home
There’s so much you can do musically from birth to age five, no matter your background:
Sing one short song a day during a routine (bath, diaper change, or bedtime).
Repeat simple melodic patterns and invite your child to echo them.
Move, bounce, and clap to songs with clear beats.
Let your child experiment freely with voice play—animal sounds, sirens, or gentle humming.
These simple moments—spinning toys, singing books, tapping pans—are your child’s first singing and music lessons.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
If you’d like some guidance, I’ve put together this Free Resources Page filled with easy singing and music activities you can try during your child’s wake or activity windows. They’re designed for parents—no musical training required!
And if you’d like occasional inspiration, you can join my mailing list below to receive a fun, developmentally appropriate activity idea from time to time. It’s a gentle, joyful way to keep music alive in your home—because every voice deserves to be heard, and every child deserves to sing.
Book a consultation with The Singing Mom (together, we create a strategy and make a plan to optimize fostering your child's singing and musical skills in early childhood years 0-5). Customized and catered to your needs and options.
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