Why to Continue Kindermusik Through Preschool
There’s this pressure as a parent. Actually, there are a LOT of pressures as a parent, but the one I want to address today is the pressure for your child to do ALL.THE.THINGS.
At Musical Pathways, we see how much our families care for their children and want the best for them. You want to give them lots of opportunities to grow, learn, and play. Now that your child is three or four years old, there are hundreds of activities to choose from: dance, t-ball, rock climbing, gymnastics, ice skating, soccer, and so on.
I actually found myself in this exact situation with my own daughter, so I get it! Suddenly, she was doing Kindermusik, ballet, ice skating, and swim. And she was five. This became stressful for her and our family. I tell you this because I want you to know it is easy to fall into the ALL.THE.THINGS. trap.
I’m not here to tell you to not sign your child up for other activities because it’s fun to try new things and meet new people! Instead I want to remind you how beneficial Kindermusik is for your child and how it will positively impact him/her no matter what activities, hobbies or interests they choose to pursue.
Our emphasis on steady beat will help your child in dance and playing an instrument.
By working on empathy, we strengthen their communication skills, encourage being a team player, and lay the groundwork for positive relationships.
Developing their spatial awareness through gross motor activities and lots of labeling, your child will be ready for sports.
Another milestone that can be helpful to keep Kindermusik in your child’s life is when they start preschool, 4K, or kindergarten. This is a BIG change, so keeping the routine of coming to Kindermusik every week is comforting. He/she knows what to expect: how the room looks and smells, what the teacher and his/her classmates look like, the order of a typical class, etc. Again, drawing from personal experience, the activities and development happening in our Kindermusik classes perfectly supports the learning that occurs in a preschool type setting; I witnessed this with my oldest daughter as she was in 4K and kindergarten.
Miss Betsy, the founder of Musical Pathways Foundation, always recommended that up until the age of 7, it should be the parent who decides what the child is involved in. We still strongly believe in this advice. In my family, our two non-negotiables are Kindermusik and swimming lessons. Beyond that we have now decided to let each child choose one additional activity.
As you start to figure out the next year of your child’s life, keep in mind all the ways your child will grow from attending Kindermusik each week. It truly is unlike any other activity out there, so consider choosing Kindermusik as one of your child’s non-negotiables.