If you thought that your child wouldn’t become interested in popular music (rock, rap, hip-hop, or whatever) until he or she was a teenager, it may come as a rude awakening when your first grader starts singing the annoying hit of the day! Music companies and marketers understand that the market demographic for popular music is getting younger and younger, so parents benefit from getting a grasp on this developmental stage as well.
Interest in popular music really isn’t new. It is completely normal and developmentally appropriate for children to start to notice and respond to music heard on the radio, television, etc. by the age of 5 or 6. Parents may not even notice until a child is singing all the words to a Top Ten Hit. Listening to music becomes something social for even elementary-age kids and you might notice your first or second-grader wanting to listen to the radio with his or her friends.
For parents, this discovery of the world of popular music means making decisions and choices about how much, what, how much intervention, etc. These will, of course, be decisions mostly influenced by your own personal values. Don’t expect your child to have the same taste in music as you do—even if you do try to influence that taste. Even if the child is perfectly happy to listen to the same music as mom and dad when she is young, she will eventually give way to the influence of peers and what is “in.” In fact, expressing a personal appreciation for a certain song can be a parent’s way of ensuring the child WON’T like it!
If possible, try to maintain a sense of humor over the ordinariness of a child’s interest in popular music. This doesn’t mean you should let a child listen to music you don’t agree with—but it does mean that you and your child have entered a new stage, and it will definitely have a soundtrack!
See Also: Make the Most of TV and Music