Sing to your baby!

One of the hidden benefits of parenthood is the chance to reclaim your silly side. Because, let's face it, babies love silly! 

Entertain yours with goofy songs (complete with goofier lyrics). 

Music, rhythm, and rhyme all prepare little ones for reading (listening to songs helps them learn to distinguish individual sounds and syllables, which eventually helps them connect letters and sounds). 

So don't be afraid to belt out some tunes (being on key is totally optional)!

What to sing? - Anything and everything works: popular music, Christmas carols, show tunes, hymns, traditional kiddie ditties. Many of the old favorites offer endlessly variable lists in their lyrics. Old McDonald's farm, for example, might be home to not just cows and pigs, but zebras and ostriches, or dinosaurs and dragons. Your baby will be so busy laughing at your mooing and oinking that she won't notice all the vocabulary words she's learning at the same time.

Make photos of your baby listening to your singing. Write what songs he/she liked most at all.