Most children love music, and you may be able to connect with your children while listening to music. Music helps kids understand their feelings, and it can get them to talk about them, too. No matter if your child is facing a legal battle or is having a hard time making friends, they need to talk about their feelings, and music can help.
1. Ask Your Child What Song is Their Current Favorite
One way of learning about your child and what they are feeling in the moment is to learn about the music that they are listening to and why they are listening to that. If there is a certain song that your child has on repeat, ask them what that song means to them and if there is a reason that they have been listening to it so much. Let your child explain what the lyrics mean to them and how they have been relating them to their own life.
2. Keep Music Playing in the Home
Music has been shown to be beneficial to autistic individuals, and it can also be helpful in the lives of those who are going through family struggles and school issues. You may get your children to open up about their feelings simply by having music playing constantly in your home.
3. Share Music from Your Childhood with Your Child
If you have a song that you connected with as a child, play that for your own children and talk about what it meant to you. Ask them how it makes them feel and what they think of the way that it sounds versus the way that music from today sounds. Be open about your own feelings related to the song so that they will be open about theirs.
4. Listen to Music Together Until Your Child is Ready to Talk
If your child is going through something but they are not ready to talk about that, consider sitting down and simply listening to music with them. Put on something that is both soothing and emotional and let them sit in peace until they are ready to share their feelings.
5. Share Some of Your Favorite Lyrics with Your Child
If there is a song that means something to you today, share that with your child. You might share a song about being a parent, letting them know how that song has touched you. Play your favorite music for your child and ask what they think of the lyrics and the message being shared.
6. Start a Dance Party in Your Home
If your child is not ready to talk about their feelings, they might feel more comfortable doing that after they have moved their body and had some fun with you. Put on music and start dancing to that. Get your child to dance with you. Have fun and let loose, and you may end up having a deep conversation when the dancing is done.
Music has the power to heal, and listening to music as a family can lead to deep conversations. If you have a child who is having a hard time sharing their feelings, consider using music to draw them out.
