As a mother, you know how important it is to make sure your kids are getting enough exercise. With the temptations of technology, the job becomes a little harder. This week’s Monday’s Momma, Christine Cox, talks about how we can use music to get our kids to move.

Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy.

Embedding Health Messages in Songs to Get Kids Moving

By: Christine Cox of www.choosykids.com

My 2 year old and I were driving in the car the other day and she said, “Mommy, play horse from your phone.” I knew what she wanted…to listen to her favorite song, “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry. She just likes it because of the beat and isn’t old enough to understand what they are sublimely singing. Of course, I turned it on, and she danced in her car seat as happy as could be, but it got me thinking about what she could learn from music.

Music resonates with children of all ages and they naturally move, dance and sing their favorites over and over again. My child has a very eclectic taste in music and enjoys songs that get her up and dancing her groove thang!! Whether she realizes it or not, dancing is great exercise, even if she only does it for the duration of the song. Besides getting up and moving, there are other benefits to listening to the ‘right’ kind of kid’s music.

Choosy Kids, a company that focuses on health and nutrition for children and families, has created music that gives directional guidance to children, allowing them to elevate their heart rate while increasing their vocabulary about moving, nutrition and healthy habits. It is music that I personally enjoy listening to on repeat and that my little one loves to dance to. Sure, the songs get stuck in your head but that is the point! When your children listen to “I’m Moving I’m Learning” over and over again, the messages about how to move their body in different ways helps to get them up and exercising without them even realizing it. Additionally, songs about their body teach them that moving makes you happy, your heart healthy and allows your body to grow. And for those who are too little to know what their arms, legs and head are, it may teach them their body parts and how to get them moving!

Children understand happiness and growth, but it is the health/exercise message that is a little harder to teach. This is an important message because so many American children are said to be obese at such young ages and it is an epidemic that needs to be changed. By listening to Choosy Kids’ music, children can learn about making healthy choices and sharing their experiences with family and friends as this music can be effective for initiating a discussion about healthy behaviors, signifying transitions or simply allowing children to have fun and be expressive while moving.

Now don’t all of those things sound much better than trying to explain what “Dark Horse” means? I know that day will come, but for now, I am going to stick to listening to songs that she can move, groove and dance to that will provide her with healthy messages.