Help Your Baby Develop Fine Character and High Abilities
Helping your baby develop fine character and high abilities is probably the uppermost thing on your mind as a parent. You have dreams for your child.
As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday this month, let’s remember his dream for all people.
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki had that similar dreams for parents and children all around the world.
Do you know what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dr. Shinichi Suzuki had in common and what it means for you and your baby now? You may be surprised!
Dreams for Your Baby to Develop Fine Character and High Abilities
Probably, most people wouldn’t necessarily connect the lives and philosophies of Dr. King and Dr Suzuki. The timelines of their lives did overlap. Tragically, Dr. King was cut down in the prime of his life. In contrast, Dr Suzuki lived to be nearly 100 years old.
But, they both had the same dream for children everywhere. If we don’t learn about the dreams of these two people. Then, we will not understand how they were a positive influence in their time and ours.
To be sure there were people who disagreed with or did not like both Dr. King and Dr. Suzuki.
Unfortunately, some people disagreed with Dr. King using physical violence.
Dr Suzuki endured verbal ridicule from those who didn’t understand or believe in his method of teaching very young children to play an instrument.
But we must remember and celebrate them so that our children can do the same. If we don’t, their ideas will surely be lost and future generations will be poorer for it.
So in this post, I would like to share with you the philosophies of Dr. King and Dr. Suzuki and what they had in common.
Too busy to read? Watch the YouTube video link here:
Celebrating the Dreams of Dr. King and Dr. Suzuki
We celebrate Dr. King because of his work to secure equality for his children and all people that they might live together in peace.
Dr Suzuki worked tirelessly for the benefit of children and their parents. He wanted them to be able to learn together and develop a deeper relationship with each other.
Every January, we celebrate Dr. King’s birthday. Dr. King and Dr. Suzuki both believe that fine character really does count. It defines us as human beings.
Parents are the ones primarily responsible for raising their children to have fine character.
Dr. King and Dr. Suzuki both believed that the concept of racial superiority was detrimental to all of society.
As an African-American, Dr. King experienced racism at the hands of those who believed they were superior. They did not believe he deserved to be treated equally.
Dr. Suzuki experienced the militaristic leaders in Japan during the Second World War. Those leaders also believed that they were superior to others.
Lessons We All Must Learn
Whether consciously or unconsciously, racism is taught.
Did you know that research has shown that a baby as young as 3 months old can recognize the difference in people’s skin tone? Therefore, that means that parents must begin to teach fine character from the moment their child is born.
To learn more about this topic, check out this blog post . As parents and teachers, we must take on the task of teaching children to look at a person’s character and not just their skin color.
We must repeat this lesson over and over. It must become a part of our children’s character (and our own for that matter).
If we do not teach these lessons, the idea of racial superiority will continue to “raise its ugly head”.
Unfortunately, it has done so more frequently in the recent past.
Sadly, Dr. King’s dream of equality for all people could still languish.
Dr. King’s Dream
Dr. King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” address in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
In that address, he encouraged the people there to understand that violence would not win the day for them. But, instead, they should “conduct their thirst for freedom on the high plane of dignity and discipline”.
He continued on to say that only when white people and people of color stand together, there will be progress in their lives.
Dr. King dreamed of all people living and working together with love and respect for each other. But, the most poignant moment in his message that day was when Dr. King spoke of his children.
He said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
So let’s be a part of transforming our world into the one about which Dr. King and so many others have dreamed. Let’s raise our children to have fine character and to look for the same character in others.
Dr King devoted his entire life to making this dream come true. He continued to do so until his life was taken from us too soon.
Dr. Suzuki’s Dream
Dr. Suzuki believed that “ability can be developed in a child of any race. In the future, there will come a time when man will not ask what race a child is, but think of humanity as a whole. I believe that foolish parts of human history were often due to racial prejudice.” (p. 26, Ability Development From Age Zero by Dr. Suzuki)
Dr. Suzuki also had a dream that “all children on the globe may become fine human beings, happy people of superior ability, and I am devoting all of my energies to making this come about. For I am convinced that all children are born with this potential.” (p. 87, Nurtured By Love by Dr. Suzuki)
Suzuki grew up in a home and school with the motto “Character First, Ability Second”. Accordingly, that ought to be our motto as well.
Dr. Suzuki insisted that a student develop fine character as they learn to play an instrument. Because he was a violinist, Dr Suzuki taught that motto through music.
In the Suzuki Education philosophy, the parent is directly involved with their child’s study of a musical instrument. For example, parents attend lessons and take notes.
They learn to play the instrument first. Then, they act as the “home” teacher helping their child practice for their next lesson. Parents and their children learn together. As a result, music becomes important to the entire family.
Most importantly, families are developing fine character through working together and making music a part of who they are. Dr. Suzuki also advocated for teaching with love, encouragement, and respect.
Parents’ Dreams for Their Baby
It is our job as parents, teachers, and other adults involved with children’s lives to raise them to judge others by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
Let’s keep alive in our hearts and minds the dreams of Dr. King, Dr. Suzuki, and so many others that worked for a better future for all of us.
You Can Help Your Baby Develop Fine Character and High Abilities
Now we must do the same for our children. You and your baby can have an opportunity to work for that better future.
You can help your baby develop fine character and high abilities with the musical activities in “Your Musical Baby” Class.
“Your Musical Baby” Class is a Suzuki Early Childhood Education program for parents and their babies ages 0- 3 years old. This class teaches many lessons.
The activities guide parents and their babies to master a variety of skills.
Those skills include character lessons that will help your child grow into a kind, responsible adult. The musical activities help babies to develop their language, math, and reasoning skills.
They also learn mental and physical skills. Still other class activities contribute to social, emotional, and personal growth.
All of the Suzuki ECE class activities can help children to grow into people who can focus, concentrate, and make wise decisions.
In this way, parents and teachers can help children develop excellent abilities and and beautiful hearts.
Dr. Suzuki often said, “Teaching music is not my main goal. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline, and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.”
It stands to reason that if our children develop beautiful hearts and fine character, then they are much more likely to view others according to their character and not just by the color of their skin.
Begin Your “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey” with Your Baby
My main goal is to help parents and their babies to develop fine character and beautiful hearts as well.
In the “Your Musical Baby” Class ONLINE, I guide you and your child into a deeper relationship with each other. We develop fine character, become lifelong learners together, and grow beautiful hearts.
In fact, I like to call it the “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey”. I’d like to give you and your baby an opportunity to experience this beauty through musical activities.
I invite you and your baby to observe an ONLINE “Your Musical Baby” Class for FREE on any Saturday morning.
Now I know that you’re a busy parent! So I’ve made it as easy as possible for you to attend the class. Simply use the “Busy Parent” link below to sign up.
Then you will receive the details and a Zoom link to the class in an email. Just think! You and your baby can begin your “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey” today!
On the “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey” with you,
Susan
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