Self-conscious 4yo

[cheapandcheerful]

My favourite time of the day at the moment is when I dry my 4yo dd's hair. There is something about the noise of the hairdryer and the presence of the full-length mirror that seem to give her permission to sing her heart out!

And she doesn't just sing... she improvises. And dances. And performs monologues in role. And sings her heart out some more.

And then the hairdryer turns off and she stops :(

It makes me sad that she feels unable to express herself in this way when she is aware of an audience (me). How can I encourage her?

[Ferguson]

Do you know if she does similar things at playgroup/school? Sing or dance, I mean?

Obviously, the sound of the hair-dryer masks her singing somewhat, making her feel uninhibited, and able to 'perform'. Can you ask her to carry on, even WITHOUT the hair-dryer, if she - for example - hid behind the sofa, or you were out of the room would she continue?

If you have a tape recorder, would she let you record her 'performance' if you were out of the room?

Or make a recording of the sound of the hair-dryer, and see if she will 'perform' to that. Using a computer, it might be possible to record her, while the hair-dryer sound is in the background. Don't try to 'trick' her into anything though, as that could undermine her confidence.

[DIYandEatCake]

Join in! My 4 year old loves it when I put music on loud after dinner sometimes, and we all dance around and sing (her 18 month old brother loves it too).