Enriching Your Child’s Life Through Podcasts
Before television, families would gather around the radio to listen to entertaining shows or radio plays geared toward listeners. Often, those programs were episodic, ending with cliffhangers so listeners would be sure to return the following week. The overall experience was a way for kids and parents to bond, use their imaginations, and satiate natural curiosity.
Today, audio podcasts have the potential to do likewise, especially for the younger set. Podcasts are being developed for children as young as two, opening yet another door for them to engage their minds. Even parents who worry about screen time and tech often feel comfortable letting their kids enjoy age-appropriate podcasts. And children who are accustomed to hearing stories read aloud adjust easily to the podcast format.
Yet it’s important to remember that podcasts aren’t just another form of entertainment. The best kid-focused podcasts out there strive to teach important life skills, like how to listen. Good listening has been linked to higher concentration and easier language interpretation — both valuable in academic and work situations. Podcasts also prompt children to hone their imaginative abilities and even multitask; it’s not unusual for kids to listen to podcasts while building with LEGO blocks, drawing, or completing puzzles.
Whether or not you are an avid podcast consumer, you can follow a few simple steps to add podcasts into your child’s life.
1. Create a library of YOU-approved podcasts.
It’s important for you to know exactly what your child is hearing and learning. Before allowing your child to listen to a podcast at home, on the way to daycare, or during a long car trip, gather information about it.
Commonsense Media provides lists and reviews of podcasts, including those geared toward toddlers and children. Some popular sources for preschooler podcasts include Lingokids (who just launched a new podcast about dream jobs kids want one day), Sesame Street, and Thomas and Friends. But always listen to a couple of episodes first before making your library of curated selections.
2. Use podcasts to reinforce healthy behaviors.
When my son was a toddler (pre-podcasts), he learned to use books as a diversion for when he felt frustrated. As soon as he knew a tantrum was coming on, he would announce, “Mom, I think I need a book.” I would drop everything and read to him, averting a meltdown.
Podcasts can serve the same purpose. For instance, if your child struggles in a particular area of literacy, the right podcast can provide an entertaining resource to help build resilience and improve capabilities. No matter what healthy habit you want to reinforce from kindness to patience, you can probably find a suitable podcast.
3. Set up a podcast night.
I’m a big fan of weekend game nights, but they don’t have to be the only time your family hangs out together. You can designate a podcast night, too. Let your children choose from the list of acceptable podcasts you’ve established. Then, make some popcorn and embark on listening.
When the podcast ends, keep the fun and experiential learning going. Talk about the podcast or act out the adventures described during the episode. Oh, and never worry if your kids keep returning to the same podcast again and again and again. Repetition is a vital and natural part of childhood development.
4. Resist using podcasts to fill time.
Nothing can substitute for a parent reading a bedtime story. So avoid replacing podcasts with your nightly routine. Instead, make podcasts an occasional treat, such as when everyone’s just too exhausted to dig into yet another book.
Put another way, podcast listening should serve a concrete purpose and fit within your family’s structured lifestyle. For example, does your child have a major case of “the wiggles?” A podcast such as Noodle Loaf focuses on music and movement, encouraging focused activity. Is your child having trouble falling asleep even after you read a book aloud? Say that you’re going to allow one podcast before lights out — and be sure to pick one that’s relaxing and calming.
5. Share tidbits from the podcasts you listen to.
As you become more accustomed to listening to podcasts with your kids, you may start to fold them into your daily routines, too. Podcasts are great because you can listen to them anytime. I listen to the History Chicks podcast while on my daily walk. Frequently, I hear history anecdotes and facts that I can share with my grandkids.
Sharing can go both ways, of course. Ask your children to describe what they learned or discovered from podcasts. This gives them the chance to work on their communication and storytelling skills. It also can encourage them to use new words they heard.
As a mom, aunt, or grandma, you’re always amassing more items for your parenting toolkit. Podcasts are one of the latest and greatest opportunities for you to leverage the best of technology to raise happier, more well-rounded kids.
