Life can often be stressful, with everyday worries building, it is important to take a moment to reflect and build connection in times that can often feel uncertain. Ten-minutes spent singing with your child while they bathe or go to sleep can seem like a rather simple task, but it allows you to focus on the sole activity of creating connection with your child.
For me, some of my most cherished moments between my grandmother and I, came from when she would sing to me in the bath as a child. It was no longer a mundane activity, but rather an exploration of play and creativity! The bath would often become a ship, the ducks my crew and myself the Captain, as my Grandmother would sing “A Sailor went to sea!”. It was in these moments my creative development started to flourish, the words of the song allowed for a creative catalyst to erupt within me, using the lyrics from the rhyme as a spring board for ideas. While both me and most likely my Grandmother were unaware of the influence these memories would go on to have on me, it has stuck with me, and allowed for both memories and creativity to flourish, through the motif of rhyme.
At the time, mindfulness was a faraway notion, with very little understanding of the term. We can now however, apply these moments with mindfulness in mind. Nursery Rhymes allow for you as the caregiver to have a moment with your child in complete serendipity, with fun and creativity sprinkled through. By singing with your child, you are giving them the opportunity to bring their own understanding to the lyrics, while giving yourself a moment with your child away from the stresses of everyday routine.
Classic nursery rhymes have been bestowed upon us from generation to generation. Often simple in rhythm and verse, these little songs create a world full of imagination for youngsters and stay with us into adulthood. Rhymes can often hold cherished childhood memories and encourage creativity from a young age, they allow for expression and articulation and can now be used as a mindfulness tool for parents while they sing to their children.
It is important to note how important creativity and imagination are within a child’s early development, especially when it can be created through memories with a loved one. It is now more important than ever to build relationships with those you love through memories and encourage early-stage creativity. The simple action of including singing a nursery rhyme with your child during you every-day routine allow for this.
On a final note, to quote Katherine Catmull, from her 2012 novel "Summer and Bird"; "A nursery rhyme shapes your bones and nerves, and it shapes your mind, they are powerful.” and I believe I am testament to this, as nursery rhymes welcomed imagination into my world and has stuck around ever since…