Music has a very important role to play in parenting. We always knew lullabies and nursery rhymes were good for babies; but now studies have proved that playing soft and soothing music to a baby brings about positive physiological changes in him, relaxing him and helping him sleep and react better. In a few cases, babies have also shown movement on playing songs. A lot of research has gone into this field recently, with an increasing number of studies pointing towards positive effects of playing music for your baby while still in the womb. Certain types of music are highly recommended for babies, depending on their age group. Western classical music during the later years, is supposed to make children more intelligent, emotionally strong and clear in thought.

Today, some artists even release CDs that you can play for your baby while still in the womb. Music for babies has been highly recommended by customers of such CDs, and the artists claim that their music was composed after extensive research. A study conducted in the UK showed that children, for whom music was played while in the womb, responded to the music even after birth, by either relaxing or showing recognition! Comforting music when played seems to reduce the respiratory rate of babies. The babies also remember the music well up to a year later, with babies clearly preferring the music they listened to before birth. Some hospitals in India and the UK have even resorted to playing soft music for prematurely born babies, in the hope that it'll help them cope better with pain and regulating body processes.

Music definitely stimulates the mind, be it that of a child or an adult. Early exposure to music also helps a child discover his creative side. It is believed that the right side of the brain is more inclined towards musical taste, and playing music for your kid may be a great way to balance out all the mathematics he'll have to handle in school. And if the early exposure gets him interested in musical pursuits, all the better!

And if you are a music lover yourself, this should be all the more appealing. A lot of parents love introducing music to their children themselves. A lot of kids today inherit their parents' musical tastes. Most accomplished composers in varied genres of music have come from families where music was unanimously loved. Music is a vast and intimidating field; an early start works wonders for the aspiring musician.