Musikgarten Blog: The Roles of the Parent and Teacher in the Children’s Music Classroom
We have all heard about “helicopter parenting” (and from time to time may be guilty of it ourselves), where a parent injects themselves into the activity, experiences, or problems of a child, particularly in educational institutions. While this kind of involvement in a child’s education is considered detrimental to their long term well-being, parental involvement and participation in the early childhood music studio is highly encouraged. The following synopsis is based on a series of podcasts from Musikgarten that delves into the parental role in an early childhood music and movement classroom.
Parental Roles in Early Childhood Music Education
When exploring the role of the parent in the physical and psychological well-being of children in the classroom, one of the most important benefits of parental involvement is that the caregiver can immerse themselves into the experience and become an active part of the learning process. Through modeling and participating, not only does the parent get the enjoyment of making music with their child, but also benefit from the bonding that happens during the process. In the earliest stages of childhood, children have been mimicking their parents for some time, so having them alongside in the music classroom seems natural.