Disclosure – this is collaborative post.
You don’t stop being a music fan when you become a parent. If anything, you feel it more. Those albums that carried you through your teens or early twenties still matter, even if your days now revolve around school runs and bedtime routines.
Yet finding space for music can feel harder than it used to. You might stream songs in the background, but you rarely sit and listen properly. Sharing music with your kids offers a way back in, letting you reconnect with what you love while giving them something meaningful to grow into.
- Start with Songs That Defined You
Begin with the tracks that shaped your identity. Think about the greatest songs of the 1990s, from the raw energy of Oasis to the emotional pull of Alanis Morissette, or whatever the equivalent is for your era. Play them at home and explain why they mattered to you at the time. For example, you might tell your child where you first heard a song or how it made you feel.
This approach helps your child connect music to real experiences rather than treating it as background noise. It also shows them that music can carry meaning across time, not just exist as something disposable.
- Make Music Physical
Streaming is convenient, but physical formats create stronger moments. Investing in a turntable and some of your favourite albums on vinyl can help you introduce your kids to a more intentional way to listen to music. You choose an album, place it on the turntable and listen from start to finish.
Let your child take the lead. Show them how to handle a record, how to place the needle and how to look at the sleeve artwork. This activity gives them a sense of ownership and curiosity. In fact, they often remember the ritual as much as the music itself.
- Follow Their Curiosity (even if it’s not yours)
Your child will naturally bring their own tastes into the mix, and you won’t always recognise them. They might love something viral or unexpected, such as the record-breaking KPop Demon Hunter hit, Golden. Instead of dismissing it, listen with them.
Ask your kids what they like about it. Is it the beat, the visuals or the energy? This conversation builds trust. Similarly, when they feel heard, they become more open to exploring your music too.
Final Thoughts…
Sharing music with your kids is about showing them that music has value in your life and can have value in theirs. When you make space for it, even in small ways, you keep this important part of your life intact while inviting them into it.
Over time, these shared experiences will turn into core memories. A song you played in the kitchen today might become something they return to years later. That connection lasts.
Disclosure – this is collaborative post.
