Parents rejoice – it's fine to let your toddlers listen to metal

(Image credit: Laney Griner)

It is “fine” to allow toddlers to listen to rock and metal music, according to Wired’s Mr Know It All.

There is zero evidence that one genre of music helps a child’s brain develop more than another – though the greatest benefit of music come from learning to play an instrument, not just listening to it.

Mr Know It All says: “As long as you keep your kid from seeing the Houses Of The Holy cover art, her brain will be just fine. There’s exactly zero evidence that one kind of music helps cognitive development more than any other.

“Plus, the supposed benefits of music come from learning to play an instrument – not just kicking back and admiring John Bonham’s drum solo in Moby Dick.”

He says that toddler-specific music works because of easy-to-learn lyrics and catchy melodies – which can lead to a deeper appreciation for music as the child grows older.

He adds: “If your tyke digs the Kitty Pap more than Physical Graffiti - suck it up. A little Wiggles now may pain your ears, but it could mean a Whole Lotta Love for the better stuff down the line.

“I certainly agree that Do The Monkey by The Wiggles belongs right next to the Barney and Elmo theme songs on Volume One of Beelzebub’s Greatest Hits, but don’t forget the first tenet of parenthood – it’s not about you.”

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Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.