Let me start by saying that I am a rule follower. With the exception of sometimes viewing the speed limit as a “suggestion,” and one time as a freshman in college when...well, anyway, I have always followed the rules. One year at church camp, the counselors brought all the girls over to the boys’ camp and I cried for the entire Kum ba yah because it was against the rules to visit boys at night. But something happened to me during childbirth: I became a rule breaker. I let my children watch too much television, I don’t force them to eat vegetables and I let them sleep with me.
Both of my children slept on my chest for the first 4 months of their life. I’m not exactly proud of this, mostly because of the other measures I have taken to hide my secret. I have lied to the pediatrician (“yes, I put her down drowsy but awake, no I never nurse her to sleep.”) and my 6’4” husband has slowly made his way to the couch (or at the very least, he sleeps sideways at the end of the bed.) Emma Claire has never slept a night in her crib and Coulter usually joins us around 1 or 2 a.m. When Coulter was a baby, and we were trying to use the crib, I would get so desperate that I would actually sleep in the crib with him (not something I recommend for mommies over 35 as it takes about 20 minutes to stretch out from the fetal position in the morning.).So last week, when one of my Kindermusik moms, sent me a message on Facebook asking for advice on transitioning her daughter Gracie to a big-girl bed, I had to laugh out loud. Really? Me? Our crib is a beautiful piece of furniture but we haven’t even washed the sheets since Emma Claire was born 16 months ago. It’s simply a home for all of our stuffed animals and long forgotten baby blankets.
I couldn’t help her, so I referred her to Kindermusik. Kindermusik is for partners and children: “all involved, all the time.” Every class is full of teachers, doctors, stay at home moms and dads, lawyers, nurses, therapists, early childhood specialists, and the list goes on. If you have a parenting concern, chances are you can pick the brain of your Kindermusik community. Once, there was a little boy whose eye disorder was diagnosed by another mom in class. The family’s pediatrician had missed it, but sure enough he needed surgery. I’ve seen parents get help with allergies and eczema; potty training and discipline. I’ve seen a mom go from thinking her 2 year old son’s constant tiptoe walking and endless arm flapping was cute, to recognizing that it’s an early warning sign of autism. Kindermusik at Bright Beginnings is more than music and movement (although that’s enough!) It’s a community of resources and it’s a place to learn, without a doubt, that we are not alone in our struggles and uncertainties as parents.
I had 5 years of on-the-job training before I ever became a mother. And there is no doubt that I am a better mom because of the community of Kindermusik families around me. I’m grateful everyday that I’m not doing this “parenting thing” alone.
And so, surrounded by all these resources, you may be wondering why I was never able to get sleep advice for my children. I assure you, I’ve received plenty. One mom, a therapist, told me I needed to let them cry it out so I could “reclaim the marital bed.” What?!? I don’t even know what that is! Another mom suggested that I take an Ambien, put in some earplugs and call it a night. I haven’t seen the therapist mom for a while, but the other mom is still in Kindermusik. She is expecting her third child in February and I have a feeling she’s going to need a lot more Ambien.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Kindermusik....A Perfect Choice for our Boys!
For the past two years, I’ve had a Friday class of all boys. It’s a class I look forward to all week. I love their energy and their laughter. I love the way they constantly need to move and play out LOUD. I secretly smile as they make inappropriate jokes (usually some kind of bathroom humor that they always find hysterical) and watch with pride as they interact socially...teaching each other, helping each other with their glockenspiels and showing off their vast array of tricks.
Yesterday was their first day in what Kindermusik calls The Young Child 2. Young Child is basically a pre-piano course that starts laying the foundation of rhythm, dynamics and note-reading. It offers the opportunity to explore your emotions through music and to discover how our bodies move and react to music. It introduces composers, musical genres and instrument families. Mostly, though, it’s just fun. One day we might blast off from a rocket and soar through space before landing (crashing) back to Earth. Another week, we’ll play a game of musical baseball (complete with a plastic ball and bat.) As the mom of a very literal 4 ½ year old boy, I know that you better not use the word baseball if sliding into home isn’t going to be a reality! :)
Boys need to move. They need the freedom to explore and be silly and be loud. They also need time to settle their little bodies and focus. Music is the perfect tool to teach boys how to relax and develop impulse control and listening skills.
I’ve had so many mommies tell me they don’t sign up because they know their son won’t sit still and listen. I’m like, “duh!” nobody sits still in Kindermusik! How boring would that be! Kindermusik is a perfect place for boys…the runners, the thinkers, the dancers, the karate “choppers”, the baseball players, the wrestlers, the singers and the soon to be glockenspiel players!
So, back to yesterday...I welcomed “my boys” back for another semester of Kindermusik with one very obvious change. As I closed the door and started to begin, Joey says, very loudly (because, well, he’s a boy!) “Why are those girls in here?” I didn’t understand him at first so Wesley chimed in, “GIRLS! GIRLS! WHY ARE THOSE GIRLS IN HERE??”
And with that, we welcomed two precious girls to the Friday morning mix. After the initial confusion (and near hysteria) at the thought of our little “pink invaders," my easy going boys forgot all about them. I had to laugh, though, because what they don’t know is that this is just the beginning of a lifetime of little pink invaders!
Yesterday was their first day in what Kindermusik calls The Young Child 2. Young Child is basically a pre-piano course that starts laying the foundation of rhythm, dynamics and note-reading. It offers the opportunity to explore your emotions through music and to discover how our bodies move and react to music. It introduces composers, musical genres and instrument families. Mostly, though, it’s just fun. One day we might blast off from a rocket and soar through space before landing (crashing) back to Earth. Another week, we’ll play a game of musical baseball (complete with a plastic ball and bat.) As the mom of a very literal 4 ½ year old boy, I know that you better not use the word baseball if sliding into home isn’t going to be a reality! :)
Boys need to move. They need the freedom to explore and be silly and be loud. They also need time to settle their little bodies and focus. Music is the perfect tool to teach boys how to relax and develop impulse control and listening skills.
I’ve had so many mommies tell me they don’t sign up because they know their son won’t sit still and listen. I’m like, “duh!” nobody sits still in Kindermusik! How boring would that be! Kindermusik is a perfect place for boys…the runners, the thinkers, the dancers, the karate “choppers”, the baseball players, the wrestlers, the singers and the soon to be glockenspiel players!
So, back to yesterday...I welcomed “my boys” back for another semester of Kindermusik with one very obvious change. As I closed the door and started to begin, Joey says, very loudly (because, well, he’s a boy!) “Why are those girls in here?” I didn’t understand him at first so Wesley chimed in, “GIRLS! GIRLS! WHY ARE THOSE GIRLS IN HERE??”
And with that, we welcomed two precious girls to the Friday morning mix. After the initial confusion (and near hysteria) at the thought of our little “pink invaders," my easy going boys forgot all about them. I had to laugh, though, because what they don’t know is that this is just the beginning of a lifetime of little pink invaders!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Don't have time? Ask a grandparent!
When I first started teaching Kindermusik, I had a student in Village, our baby class, who came with her Nanny. I wasn’t a mom at the time, and I thought it was a little strange. Didn’t her parents want to bring her? Didn’t her mom or dad want to treasure that time together and bond as a family?
Fast forward 9 years and NOW I get it (well, actually I “got it” just a few short months after Coulter was born.) Kindermusik is about community. Kindermusik is about children and families and all the people---parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, nannies, babysitters, and neighbors---that make up our family. Kindermusik embraces the truth that “It takes a Village.” It wasn’t that those parents didn’t want to attend, it was that they valued Kindermusik so much, they found whatever way they could to make sure their daughter had the absolute best early music experience.
Over the past several years, it’s become quite common for children to come with a grandparent or babysitter. I love the class dynamics that are created from the variety of caregivers and I love that for families like mine, who don’t have grandparents close by, we can extend our village by adopting someone else’s grandmother.
The baby that I mentioned, well, she basically grew up in Kindermusik. Someone in her village always made sure she was there. She is now one of my best piano students. She is a part of my family. Her parents are some of the most involved and dedicated parents that I know. They inspire me to make right choices for my children. They inspire me to keep signing up even though I detest the cold and the snow and basically going outside for any reason at all until April. They inspire me to keep signing up because all I have to do is look at their daughter and know that “a good beginning never ends!”
Fast forward 9 years and NOW I get it (well, actually I “got it” just a few short months after Coulter was born.) Kindermusik is about community. Kindermusik is about children and families and all the people---parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, nannies, babysitters, and neighbors---that make up our family. Kindermusik embraces the truth that “It takes a Village.” It wasn’t that those parents didn’t want to attend, it was that they valued Kindermusik so much, they found whatever way they could to make sure their daughter had the absolute best early music experience.
Over the past several years, it’s become quite common for children to come with a grandparent or babysitter. I love the class dynamics that are created from the variety of caregivers and I love that for families like mine, who don’t have grandparents close by, we can extend our village by adopting someone else’s grandmother.
The baby that I mentioned, well, she basically grew up in Kindermusik. Someone in her village always made sure she was there. She is now one of my best piano students. She is a part of my family. Her parents are some of the most involved and dedicated parents that I know. They inspire me to make right choices for my children. They inspire me to keep signing up even though I detest the cold and the snow and basically going outside for any reason at all until April. They inspire me to keep signing up because all I have to do is look at their daughter and know that “a good beginning never ends!”
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Year! New semester for Kindermusik!
Welcome to our new blog for Kindermsuik by Bright Beginnings Studios! We've launched this discussion to help you get the most of your Kindermusik experience! Check back often for our weekly posts!
Happy New Year! As soon as January 1st rolled around I was thinking of only one thing, and I can assure you it wasn't about starting my New Year's diet. I was thinking that in 8 short months, my son, Coulter, will be starting Kindergarten. August 16th to be exact. Ack! Where have the past 5 years gone? How should we spend our last lazy days at home together? How can I do my best for him? I'm running out of time!
Early childhood research shows very clearly that parents, teachers, and caregivers have until about age 5 to shape who our children are going to become. A whopping 90% of a child's personality is set by age 5. That only leaves my husband and I a few short months to make sure that Coulter is kind, compassionate, intelligent, motivated, disciplined....well, you get the idea. So, while I know that I have many years to nurture and love on my son, I am also very aware of how crucial these early years of learning are to his future.
I know because I've been teaching Kindermusik for 10 years. Kindermusik is an early childhood music and movement program for newborns-age 7. It's an amazingly satisfying job because I'm setting an early foundation that will last a lifetime. When moms, dads, grandparents, and caregivers come to class they are able to bond, laugh, and play with their children...and when they leave...they are able "sing their way home" and make music and movement part of their daily family life.
Coulter has been in Kindermusik since he was 3 months old. While I realize that he doesn't remember specifically those early classes, I know that he and I grew closer because of them. I know that while he thought he was just having fun, he was also developing social, physical, musical, cognitive, language, and problem-solving skills. I am grateful for his Kindermusik teachers and the love of music they instilled in him. Regardless of what instrument he chooses (it will be piano, of course, like there's any choice in that when your Mother is a pianist!), I know that he has started on a life-long journey of loving, appreciating, and making music.
So as you're setting resolutions and vowing, once again, to make the most of your time with your kiddos, I encourage you to consider Kindermusik. Investing in your children is always the best choice. At brightbeginnings.kindermusik.net, you'll find a full schedule with morning, evening, weekday, and weekend classes. You can also email kindermusik.brightbeginnings@gmail.com for more information. We look forward to seeing your children and their smiling faces very soon!
Miss Myra
Happy New Year! As soon as January 1st rolled around I was thinking of only one thing, and I can assure you it wasn't about starting my New Year's diet. I was thinking that in 8 short months, my son, Coulter, will be starting Kindergarten. August 16th to be exact. Ack! Where have the past 5 years gone? How should we spend our last lazy days at home together? How can I do my best for him? I'm running out of time!
Early childhood research shows very clearly that parents, teachers, and caregivers have until about age 5 to shape who our children are going to become. A whopping 90% of a child's personality is set by age 5. That only leaves my husband and I a few short months to make sure that Coulter is kind, compassionate, intelligent, motivated, disciplined....well, you get the idea. So, while I know that I have many years to nurture and love on my son, I am also very aware of how crucial these early years of learning are to his future.
I know because I've been teaching Kindermusik for 10 years. Kindermusik is an early childhood music and movement program for newborns-age 7. It's an amazingly satisfying job because I'm setting an early foundation that will last a lifetime. When moms, dads, grandparents, and caregivers come to class they are able to bond, laugh, and play with their children...and when they leave...they are able "sing their way home" and make music and movement part of their daily family life.
Coulter has been in Kindermusik since he was 3 months old. While I realize that he doesn't remember specifically those early classes, I know that he and I grew closer because of them. I know that while he thought he was just having fun, he was also developing social, physical, musical, cognitive, language, and problem-solving skills. I am grateful for his Kindermusik teachers and the love of music they instilled in him. Regardless of what instrument he chooses (it will be piano, of course, like there's any choice in that when your Mother is a pianist!), I know that he has started on a life-long journey of loving, appreciating, and making music.
So as you're setting resolutions and vowing, once again, to make the most of your time with your kiddos, I encourage you to consider Kindermusik. Investing in your children is always the best choice. At brightbeginnings.kindermusik.net, you'll find a full schedule with morning, evening, weekday, and weekend classes. You can also email kindermusik.brightbeginnings@gmail.com for more information. We look forward to seeing your children and their smiling faces very soon!
Miss Myra
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