This year, for Mother’s Day, we want to put the focus on working mothers. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, the traditional roles of parenthood are evolving. While mothers are breaking barriers in the workplace, they are still expected to carry the weight of domestic duties, creating a poignant imbalance that compromises the quality of family interactions. The bedtime routine, once a sacred time for bonding and storytelling, has been usurped by the flickering glow of electronic devices, leaving children yearning for the comforting embrace of their mother’s voice.
A study by Daniel Abrams and his team at Stanford University delved into the profound impact of a mother’s voice on children’s development. They found that a mother’s voice can significantly reduce stress levels in children by lowering cortisol and increasing oxytocin, the social bonding hormone. From the womb, a fetus begins to recognise and favour its mother’s voice, and this preference continues after birth.
As children mature, the influence of a mother’s voice remains strong. In the study, children aged between seven and 12 could identify their mother’s voice with over 97% accuracy in less than a second when exposed to recordings. The fMRI scans revealed that a mother’s voice, either live or recorded, activates various brain structures related to emotion regulation, reward, and facial recognition. Intriguingly, stronger neural connections between these brain areas correlate with better social communication abilities in children. Thus, a mother’s voice leaves a distinct ‘neural fingerprint’ that can predict a child’s proficiency in social communication.
The Recordable Book
In light of this research, Emma – The Sleep Company sets out to bring together the demands of modern life with the timeless need for a strong connection between mothers and their children. By using the magic of storytelling, they create a bedtime story that captures the essence of a mother’s care and guidance.
Their story unfolds through a bedtime tale about the importance of sleep and the endless possibilities of a new day. At its heart is the relationship between a mother and her child, built on whispered promises and shared dreams. As the story unfolds, the child finds comfort in the warmth of maternal love, even in the quiet of the night.
The team at Emma has made the book accessible as a PDF, which mums can download through the Emma Sleep website. They must simply fill out a quick form and should receive their PDF copies in their emails immediately after.
While the ideal bedtime story experience involves the mother reading directly to her child, this method offers a solution for times when she’s unavailable. Here, the mother could pre-record her voice reading the book on a tablet or e-reader.
The child, possibly alongside their babysitter, can then follow along with their physical copy while listening to the recording. This provides a sense of continuity and comfort even when the mother isn’t physically present.
SheSociety is a site for the women of Australia to share our stories, our experiences, shared learnings and opportunities to connect.
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