When I was in the second grade, I sang in a school choir. I remember a handful of the songs from that choir, and one, in particular, I woke up singing just this morning. The lyrics went something like:
Kids are music,
Everybody knows that kids are music,
They are full of music from their heads to their toes,
Everybody knows
Everybody knows
That kids and music are ONE!
I do want to point out that I was in the second grade over 25 years ago. This song, along with so many other songs from school choir, Sunday school, and church have been stuck in my head from a very young age. I know them. I remember them. And, many of the messages have really sunk in.
In young children, music helps to enhance social development, communication, concentration, cause and effect, creativity, and provides an opportunity for self-expression. In short, music educates in ways that little else can.
Just last night, at my home church, our kids were singing together two of the songs that are on our new kids’ album: Jesus is Alive and Pray Every Day. While they proclaimed amazing truths, they had fun, and they participated in a worship experience. Even one kid, who often doesn’t participate much, was belting out the songs. It was beautiful.
It can be easy to just toss music on in the car that we, (adults), enjoy, and allow kids to sing along. It happens in our family all the time. While, I’m a bit more of a talk radio person, my husband’s playlist ranges from Cheap Trick to Great Big Sea to Queen to showtunes. Our daughter has such a wide range of musical likes. The songs that she requests are hilarious at times. She will ask for “Popular” from Wicked the Musical (admittedly, that one’s on me) or “Hooked on a Feeling” (Blue Swede – that’s my husband’s influence) or J-E-S-U-S (yes!).
Having an amount of range is appropriate and fun. But I’d love to encourage you, if it’s not on your playlist already, to add to your child’s repertoire worship music and songs about Jesus so that they have the type of music that encourages their life with Jesus.
At The Meeting House, we’ve made a new album that we think is fun and engaging – even for grownups. But seriously, if you check out our album, and it’s just not for you or your kids, that’s okay, too. There are other great Christian kids’ albums in the world – download those and allow that addition to your child’s repertoire (and yours) to encourage your soul, heart, and mind towards Christ.
To download on iTunes, click here.
On Spotify, you can hear the album here.
On Google Play, you can hear the album here.