Jaden's Alphabet and phonics song

Not so long ago, I would not understand why some parents would say that their babies started reciting the ABC's even before they can talk. Now with Jaden, I do.

I recorded an alphabet and phonics song in my cellphone. I ask the nanny to transfer the songs to our other fone so that even without my cellphone, the songs will still be played when Jaden is about to sleep. (Both Ate and Jaden cannot sleep without a music). A month ago Jaden started chanting, A-A-Apple. I was elated and told the nanny to just continue with the music, reading to Jaden and pointing to her the alphabet posted in our bedroom wall. Amazingly, last night when we were about to sleep, she chanted A until C and then to F-F-Fish.

When I was pregnant with ate, I read a research that says music is linked to babies brain. I later found out that babies in the womb could not possibly hear the music because they are floating in the water. Thus, I stopped playing music to the unborn. However, I started playing music to them immediately after we were discharged from the hospital. According to another research entitled, "Building Baby's Brain: The Role of Music by Diane Bales, Ph.D. http://www.educationoasis.com/resources/Articles/building_babys_brain.htm that we should only play classical music. However, our cousin who is a pediatrician says that any music will do. Another researcher also wrote that music is like, You're sowing a seed," says Rosalie Pratt, a professor of music medicine at Brigham Young University. It also helps that me and my husband are music enthusiasts. We like to sing. Jaden's and even Ate's nanny before like to listen and sing songs. I used music to help them sleep and also to shield them from any annoying or scary sound, like raindrops (both are afraid of heavy rain) or dogs barking.

Unfortunately, this article What are the best ways to make music a part of my child's life?, says that "But avoid putting on a go-to-sleep tape and leaving the room so your baby can fall asleep to it. "When the songs end, your baby may wake up and need you to come in to start the music up again," says psychologist Jodi Mindell, a Philadelphia pediatric sleep expert and author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep. Instead, play a few songs for your child then turn the tape or CD player off before he falls asleep." Mine sleeps with the music still playing, and even if the music ends, it is not a reason for them to wake up. This is according to my observation. They wake up for other reasons than there being no music.

I plan to continue with what we are doing because it served best with Ate Maisie and Jaden. However, after reading various articles, I will probably stop playing upbeat songs when we are about to sleep. Instead I will record lullabies and nursery rhymes. And maybe by next month, Jaden will be able to recite the alphabet song the full verse or the phonic songs. After all, Ate learned the ABC by singing the Barney alphabet parade.