Just wondering, how are BK "pushy?"

I had most of the same questions too, Mandab!

But if anything, what I gleaned from this article is that what we do DOES make an impact on the child, and if done with a lot of fun and love, the impact can TRULY lead to a lifelong love of learning (and reading!)

Thank you for this. TeachingMyToddlers, your story is truly inspiring. I'm very happy to have met people like you in this forum - I am reminded of my own teaching story and I can only hope to be able to do for my own kids what you have done for yours.

Thanks for the report, it was most interesting. I guess it just confirms what most of us parents here already know - that music can play an enormous role on the growth of our children.  Although the report was quite short, I found it informative.

And thanks for the tips Chris. I've already started doing a few of those exercises with the kids, especially the mimicking activity. Kids are great that way, they enjoy imitating what the adults do, and it IS a fantastic way to g et them started on their music education

I'm particularly interested to learn more about how music can help with learning math - just because I can't quite wrap my head around the concept. The report provides proof of this positive effect, but not how. If any of you can explain how this is done, I'd be grateful.

As a musician, I am inclined to agree on how music can impact our lives and the lives of our children - only because I've experienced first-hand how music can literally move people to greater heights. I can only hope that I can pass on this love of music to my kids.

First off, thanks for opening this thread.   I only got to see this now, but I hope it's not too late to join in the topic.

-   How important do you think music education is, and why?
I think it's VERY important, specifically in my opinion because music plays such a big part of my own life. I used to be a musician by trade (guitar, singer and bass player) and even though I never had any formal training music, my love for music has made my life so much richer. I cannot imagine life without music, and I think it would be such a fantastic gift to give my child.

-   What are you currently doing with your child in terms of music education?
Early on, it was just exposure to all types of music. We used Baby Mozart when we could get them, but it was also just because we had music on most of the time. The music we play around the house was just something we all enjoyed. When my son turned 1, we found that he had an enthusiasm for singing [or humming] in tune to some of the songs we heard most often, and he also likes dancing with his little sister. I haven't figured out a formal program for music just yet because some of the available ones are a little expensive or they seem a little to strict (where's the fun!?)

-   What instrument(s) is your child learning (or do you plan to let your child learn)?
Hopefully I can get my kids started on the piano.  This is something I've never learned to play myself (know a few songs but don't know enough to play off the bat) and I would love for my kids to have an opportunity to express themselves through the piano. It's not as hard [in my opinion] as the violin and guitar where you need finger strength for the fret board, so I think my kids can start earlier on the keys.

-   What are the problems you face when teaching music (or an instrument)?
Mostly just the time and the cost, although I admit that time is easy enough to set aside for a good program which I really think my kids would enjoy.

I would really LOVE to see what you guys have which could help us with our kids' music education. Little Musician in the making? 

I agree with everyone in saying that the new LR is great - and the curriculum makes it so much more WORTH IT.

I would only like to give my 2 cents' worth on why I think it's ok for for the price of the new LR to be higher - LR and LM are no longer just software programs - they are now more comparable to learning courses (as it now provides us with a curriculum), the only difference with this is that it lets us be our child's teacher. I think of it as more worth it than getting a cd of an educational show, because as we all know LR lets us make our own stuff so there's no danger of outgrowing it; it's also less expensive than putting my son and duaghter to an early learning centre (where the prices are truly exorbitant!)

So yes, I do think that the new LR is priced quite reasonably. Thanks to the BK team for making it available for us parents.

Hi Althea,

I'm very sorry to hear about your predicament with Angela, and I only have one recommendation to make.

We as adults, caregivers and parents have to take some responsibility to make sure that our children play and grow upon a safe environment without the threat of being hurt. Unfortunately, it doesn't help that kids sometimes don't understand the danger of doing certain things, no matter how thoroughly it is explained to them.  It is important to be aware of the developmental stages of children in order to prevent accidents. Children in certain age groups have numerous limitations and are therefore at risk of injury, mainly because they are still learning, and may not always do things correctly. 

My advice is to keep be adamant about keeping your daughter away from such danger, by perhaps placing your lamp someplace else, securing the wiring for your lamp so it is not something your child can reach and or investing in socket protectors for exposed electrical sockets around the house.

Knifey, Spoony, butter knife, plate, bowl, cup, mug, bottle milk, fork, tongs, pitchfork, tractor (a big yellow one).wheels, road, autobahn train, cycle, rider, bus, light, God

CARE - DARE - DARK - ARKS - ARMS - ARMY - MARS - BARS - BARE - BARK - BANK - BAND - BANE - SANE - PANE - PINE - FINE - MINE - NINE - DINE - DINT - PINT - HINT - TINT - MINT - MITT -MITS - PITS - PINT - PANT- ANTS-ARTS - ARTY

Haha, may I suggest that we start a new one? I think we're capable of increasing the difficulty by one notch!

BABY

Thanks for the advice. I was just wondering if there were benefits enough to invest in the clothes and switch - our 11-month old daughter hasn't been using organic cotton clothes, and she doesn't have any allergies either.  As a stay at home dad, I have been trying my best to do some research for the kids, and I was thinking if this wasn't just some trend.

I agree, texaslady, you have a nice playroom for your kid!

For storage, we put our son's toys in this net storage we bought from ikea, which we hung low enough for him to reach so we can teach him to put his toys away.  It's quite cheap, it doesn't take up too much space, and it's completely washable, so it works well for us.

Hello.  I would just like to ask if anyone has more information about the difference between organic and non-organic baby clothes.

I know that organic clothes are becoming so popular now, but I would just like to be better informed about why I should spend more (because they're generally much more expensive than normal ones.)

Thanks in advance!

^ Funny as it may sound, my living room. I like my Sunday afternoons with my family in the living room, it always feels like a vacation.

 > Our children are our angels - we are dressing them up this Christmas as angels.

V What are your plans for Christmas?

CARE - DARE - DARK - ARKS - ARMS - ARMY - MARS - BARS - BARE - BARK - BANK - BAND

I understand how you must feel - I have a three year old son who did the same, and it lasted for a week.

We consulted our doctor and he said that all we should do is to help our son go back to a calm state of sleep. We turned the lights on to give him a bit of security, and used soothing comments.  The doc specifically said to avoid making our son feel any more stressed than he already was.

He also said that sleep deprivation might have been the trigger for his night terror episodes, and that we should take care that our kids not be allowed to become overtired. We've made him take naps in the afternoons to help, and since then the night terrors never came back.