You have made the wonderful choice to introduce your children to the amazing and magical world of music making. You can get the most out of this music experience by establishing a few habits:
• Make sure your child has a good snack before class. Many locations don’t allow food, and some children have severe allergies -- crumbs can create problems for an allergic child. Sippy cups and bottles are OK, especially during Lullaby time.
• Allow your child to form his/her own style in class. Some children will quietly observe, and others will actively explore their environment. While that is happening, continue your own musical involvement. You can tap on your child, sing along, or even join them in their roaming and turn it into your own little dance steps.
• Try to leave your socializing time for before and after class. See if you can sing your messages to your child. They hear so much talk during the day, and work so hard on language development-let’s give them a chance here to really be musically focused. Think of this 45 minutes a week as your “sound sanctuary”.
• Your model of musical participation and involvement is the most powerful magic for creating both the disposition to be musical in your children, and an exciting and rewarding class experiences for everyone including yourself!
• Music Together® is participation, NOT performance experience. Sing, dance, shake-rattle and roll along, even if you don’t know the words, or think you can’t sing in tune or keep a beat.
• If your child is having a hard day, it’s OK to make your own special place outside of the circle, or even to step out of the class for a few minutes to let your child regroup.
• Sometimes, your child may not be ready to return an instrument when the teacher collects them . . .
• Antiseptic wipes are provided in every class. If your child is in the oral stage and putting instruments in their mouth, please wipe them off after use before they go back to the basket or box. But remember, the best prevention for passing along sniffles is to WASH YOUR HANDS before and after class and WASH YOUR CHILD’S HANDS before and after class. This has proven to stop the transmission of colds, etc. among classmates, parents and teachers.
• If your child isn’t feeling well and you think he/she may be contagious, please keep them home. YOU CAN MAKE UP 2 MISSED CLASSES PER SESSION by contacting the Center Director.
About MUSIC TOGETHER Materials
Each of these items will enrich your experience in Music Together.
• Please play your CD for your children as often as you can, both as background accompaniment to daily life, and for special jam and dance times at home.
• Sing about whatever is happening and make the Music Together songs your own with your own words and stories.(spontaneous singing!)
• The Song Book contains suggestions for musical activities at home, and for various age groups. The opening pages are filled with wonderful information about making the most of your Music Together experience.
• Best of all, the songbook is in the same order as the recordings so the illustrations come up when the song begins. This songbook has become the favorite bedtime/lullaby book of many Music Together children.
• The Parent Guide is written in small parent-sized bites, and contains information about what to expect from yourself and your child in class, as well as a description of the course of early music development.
• Your teacher is there to be sure you and your child have exciting, fun and rewarding musical experiences. Please ask any question, voice your concerns and share your stories!
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