Dear BMWK: My Child Has a Gift, When Should We Begin To Pursue It?

Dear BMWK

by Lamar Tyler | on December 2nd, 2008 | 5 comments

Dear BMWK,

My 27month old daughter has what I think is an early gift for music. At only a few months old she had an uncanny sense of rhythm where she would clap, tap or hum to the beat right on cue. (An ability some adults still don’ t have). If something were playing she could clap on beat then if you cut the music off she could keep the beat, this is from being a less than one year old baby. She picks up music and songs very quickly and over the Thanksgiving holiday she got on the piano at my mothers house to mess around and honestly didn’t sound all that bad. She wasn’t playing Stevie Wonder or anything but she was playing keys that sounded good together as opposed to our older kids who just bang any keys and make a lot of noise.

I don’t know for sure but think it’s possible she could at the least have a good ear for music. What is the earliest you should begin to nurture your child’s gifts if you think they have something that stands out?

BMWK family, have you been in a similar situation? Share you thoughts and we’ll weigh in later.

About the author

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the creators of the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com . They also are behind the Amazon.com bestselling DVDs Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage, You Saved Me and Men Ain’t Boys that explores manhood in the African American community. The Tylers are also the proud parents of four children.

http://www.tifiblogs.com Dee

Since she’s so young, why not just take a music class with her? A reputable music school should offer some type of class for little ones, and the instructor might be able to guide you as she grows. I wouldn’t pursue anything more serious until she is old enough to understand what it is she would be working towards. My daughter takes ballet, and will probably audition for our district’s arts program next year. Having been a serious dancer myself when I was younger, I know what to watch for. If at any time my daughter felt she didn’t want to do it anymore, we would finish out the semester or year, and re-evaluate.

Dees last blog post..Oh no…
http://afrogeekmom.blogspot.com conseula

I agree–take a music class with her, see how she responds to a structured music environment.

conseulas last blog post..Afrogeek A-Z Film Meme: A-G
Anna

I am so glad that you took the time to ask the (?) and did not push the gifted child that you have. Kids do let you know what they want to follow. Being a parent is a “don’t follow me, I will follow you” thing. As the comments in the room stated. Get your baby some lessions. Tiger Woods has been hitting golf balls at the age of 3. Our next President did not run to lose. Many people are just “Destine” to do what they do and follow their passion through their parents support(non knowingly).
MKT

A gift of music is a wonderful thing. I wish I had it… Music classes at the age of two are perfect. Even if she never persues music the rest of her life, she will learn life lessons that most kids don’t get until Pre-K or even K.

She will learn patterns, repetition, math and how to follow a string of directions. These are all things that teachers look for in children in the classroom. It will help her in math, reading and writing at an early age.

Best of all, she will have fun and not even know she is getting smarter by the minute!

I echo everyone above. Start her in a music class. Don’t go out and buy a baby grand just yet….
Anonymous

i think you should key in on your childs gifts but at the same time if it gets to be something you have to make her do then back off. i just talked to my daughter today about her son and basketball and she has it all wrong. the kid wants to skate board and he is about six feet tall and she said he is to tall to focus skateboarding and at his first game last night the coach kept yelling at him to rebound, jump for the ball. so this speaks for itself. whatever you decide to do think of the child first is it me wanting a music career or basketball career. i have a son-in-law that told me before our grand daughter was born he would tap on my daughters belly in key so when our grand daughter was born she could clap on beat and at 20 months she could sing any song the older kids could and knew all of the cheers she is truly gifted. this kid had a singing balloon for her second birthday that sang in english and spanish and before the day was over she was singing in both english and spanish.i say this kid is gifted.