Finding Children's Music Adults Can Love (and Vice Versa)

Children crave familiarity - in their food, routines, and even music. For this reason, parents end up in a cycle of repetition, and need to anticipate this by introducing things, concepts, and tunes that they enjoy as well as their children. A prime example of the repetition loop is how children will attach to a specific song and listen to it at bedtime every night, whether it is a lullaby CD or classical music.

The love of music starts early, and what children's parents listen to will shape their children's favorites. This means parents do not have to be limited to pint-size tunes, but can instead continue to listen to what gets them going, and introduce their children to a range of music to go along with "Old McDonald Had a Farm."

Background Music

Instead of just "B-I-N-G-O" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," throw in other music to keep all of the family members happy. No matter what your musical taste, put it on and expose your children to it. Music with profanity should probably be avoided, for obvious reasons, but otherwise every genre is good for children and whatever you like, odds are great that they will eventually enjoy it as well.

Baby Dance Party

When the kids are restless, you need to exercise, or just want to listen to upbeat rhythms, put on music that will get your feet tapping. Joss Stone's "Girl You Won't Believe It" gets both my baby and toddler bopping along to the music. The entire "Introducing Joss Stone" album keeps them happily playing on the floor and dancing along. KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is perfect for an impromptu baby dance party and mommy exercise routine. If you've previously limited yourself and your children to songs like "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes", slowly introduce other music through random play. They might not like it at first, or they may like it so much that you are soon tired of a previously favorite song!

On The Road Again

All families spend a lot of time in the car, and while children's CDs do entertain them, they also can get on parents' last nerve pretty quickly. Paul Simon's "Graceland" or Ten Thousand Maniacs "Our Time in Eden" are both terrific driving albums. For when you want to keep the car mellow or encourage backseat sleeping, Yo Yo Ma is a terrific artist with a range of choices including Vivaldi, Bach, and even Brazilian music.

Again, take turns choosing who gets to pick the music, and soon the "children's music" might be Jack Johnson.