MYTH 1: SKILLS

Myth: It’s easy work/anyone can do it/you don’ t need any particular skills. 
It’s actually really nuanced, challenging and exciting work that requires professionals with skills in creativity, music-making and a nuanced understanding of how to work with under 5s. 

You need to have creative skills, understand how young children learn and develop, and be able to respond and adapt in the moment. Because of this misunderstanding early years work is undervalued and those working in the sector are poorly paid.

Myth: They’re soooo cute/Babies and toddlers are really cute!
Sure young children can be cute but they’re complex human beings too! They can be cute, challenging, angry, sad, excited, curious, fed-up, energised etc. Just like anyone else. We under-estimate and do young children a disservice if we think it’s just about being cute.

MYTH 2: CREATIVITY AND COMMUNICATION

Myth: Early Years children can’t create ‘real’ art or music of any value
If you take time to listen to or explore the art and creativity that young children produce you’ll find it exciting, diverse and valuable. Young children’s art often gets overlooked, ignored or thrown away. When we do this we miss out on the opportunity to enjoy  and be inspired by babies and toddlers. 

Myth: Early Years children can’t communicate they don’t have anything to say
All children, including newborn babies are skilled communicators. But adults need to be prepared to take the time to ‘listen’, value what is being communicated  and to understand that young children might communicate in different ways to adults.  

They might move, dance, use objects, their eyes and facial expressions, sing, make sounds or verbalise.Another way to look at it, children are great at communication, adults are terrible at listening!. Talk to anyone who lives with a young baby and they’ll tell you how effective they can be at telling you what they do and don’t like! 

MYTH 3: EARLY YEARS ARE THE FUTURE

Myth: Early Years children need to be protected from the modern world we shouldn’t talk to them about issues such as climate change or politics Young children are just effected by modern-day challenges as adults they’ve experienced climate change, war, the cost of living crisis and technological changes such as AI. We can’t help children prepare for the future, if we don’t explore these things with them?

Myth: Technology has no place in early years music-making or creativity
It’s about understanding what technology is out, and what it can do – giving children opportunities to explore and be creative with technology, not just passive consumers. Technology isn’t going anywhere and we need to think about it in a nuanced way, and not hide children away from it especially if we want them to be skilled at using it and understand it benefits and risk).  

SO WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Babies aren’t just cute they’re complex. They’re not “too young” to communicate we just need to listen. Play isn’t easy it’s serious, demanding work. They can engage with rich music, big ideas and the modern world. When we reduce Early Years to simple or sweet, we undervalue children and the skilled professionals who work with them. 

Little learners, big achievers.