Musical Munchkins

My children love music. Don't all toddlers love music? But since we usually only listen to music in the car, their love of music seems a bit extreme. (Although my husband and I actually do our damnedest to influence our their musical preferences. He wants them to like metal. I want them to like country. My daughter wants Mickey Mouse music. My son wants Elmo Sing Alongs. No one is winning this battle.)

My daughter loves to sing now - she sings everything that she is doing. "I'm getting up. I'm coming in. I'm eating breakfast." She sings nursery rhymes and jingles that she hears. She tries to sing along with the radio, but she is always a word behind. As for my son, he loves to dance. He bounces along to music and claps his hands. He tries to sing too, but since he doesn't really have the vocal skills for talking yet, singing seems to be a long way off. But what he is really good at is playing music - keyboard, xylophone, drum, guitar; if you put it into his hand, he'll figure out how it makes music.

And I'm happy that they like music. Studies say that it will help them with math, exercise, all sorts of stuff. I just wonder where it comes from.

I'm tone deaf. And I have no rhythm. It's rather embarrassing. Sure, I like music, but when I sing, my daughter winces and tells me "No, Momma, you no sing." And I like to dance, but I had to count the beat during my wedding dance. And when I dance with my son, he laughs and points. So where did their musical ability come from?

Oh, right.

My husband.

Does this mean they are going to like metal?