Savvy Parenting : Grown-up Music That Kids Adore The Savvy Source for Parents

Rock or pop, country or classical, there's a kiddie artist making music for kids in every genre. And grown-up artists like They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, and Lisa Loeb have recently recorded best-selling albums for kids. But why give your kids cutesy versions of the real thing? Preschoolers know a good thing when they hear it -- make sure you expose them to the music you love in addition to albums aimed at others their age.

Here are some tips for introducing your child to more sophisticated music:

Start with what you love. You'll soon learn what your preschooler likes and doesn't like and will be able to expand the musical choices you offer her.
Scrutinize lyrics before putting a song in heavy rotation for your preschooler. If there's a word you don't want to hear repeated or a concept you don't wish to explain, skip the song. Even if it's barely noticeable, I promise it will be the one lyric she picks up on. My daughter loves the soundtrack to the movie Juno, but there are a few songs that are totally inappropriate for her -- we simply skip those.
Make music an interactive experience. Get out some rhythm instruments and keep the beat. Talk about the instruments you can hear in the songs. And the easiest and most fun way to get closer to the music? Get up and dance!
Skip the rock and roll shows. Live concerts almost always have noise levels that are especially dangerous to young ears.

Here are some artists that my three year old has enjoyed:

I'm not saying that there aren't artists making fantastic music for children -- I'm not ashamed to say that I've listened to Elizabeth Mitchell albums when my kid isn't even around. But if your kid loves music, she deserves to hear more than that. Your little rocker will thank you for expanding her musical horizons.

Shauna is the Nashville City Editor for The Savvy Source. You can read more of her work every day at Being Savvy Nashville.

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