Eliesha Nelson

At first my son seemed like a plant that required mundane (and constant) care to remain alive - feed me, change me, help me sleep, love me, and repeat the cycle. I received no thank you's, no voluntary smiles, but I remembered through my extensive reading on babies, that the first three months are like another trimester. They need a little more growth before becoming more human.

my son William in his plant-like stage

Then suddenly, one gets smiles, a little babbling, and a stream of steady changes from day to day, until one day, the child actually communicates something intentionally and your heart soars. For me, that day is today, where my son made the sign for milk, and I gave him milk, and he was satisfied. He is in his eighth month now, and I've been showing him the Baby Signing Time videos which seem to captivate him. He loves looking at other babies and young folk, plus he enjoys the music. I enjoy the videos too.

Perhaps the first way we did communicate was through music, though it was more subtle and basic. I played a lot of vocal music for him and sang silly songs, and I quickly learned which music calmed or excited him. I play Appalachian folk music, strophic songs, Renaissance vocal music, Chopin Nocturnes (which capture his attention when he's upset), children's nursery rhymes, anything by Bach, and the list continues to grow.

It's also fun to imitate the sounds he makes, and listen as he mimics the sounds I make. It's like a jam session without needing to know music theory. Each day is a new discovery of sound, signing and communication. I'm loving it!

Categories: Music Education