Child who no longer likes singing

[Fifithemouse]

My DD is almost 5 and just started Reception. She was an early talker and used to love singing and nursery rhymes. When she was around 2.5 yo she used to sing a lot i.e. Let's go fly a kite, Daisy, Daisy, Sing a song of sixpence...none of which are easy for a child of that age. She was singing them really well. Since she was approaching 3 years of age she started losing interest in singing and now at almost 5 she does not sing and refuses to even try.

Reception are informing the parents through newsletters that they learn songs every week, some of which are maths or phonics related. When I ask her about it she'll tell me with no conviction that they were learning some songs but won't tell me what the songs were or how they go.

She does love music, she got a good musical 'ear' if I may say so...she can discriminate between classical music pieces, she got a good musical memory for instance she'll hear a song and she'll remember where she heard it before and so on.

I love musical instruments, I play a few, and we want her to start piano lessons next year but I'm a bit surprised that she seems to have lost interest in music. I don't want to push her if this is not her kind of thing, but I feel like she has regressed and I'm not sure why.

Can anyone relate? Is this normal?

Maybe she prefers a bit of Abba or Sir Mix a lot?

I think you’re pushing your influence on her too much. You were clearly excited by her good singing when she was younger and imagining great things from your perspective.

What you have to realise is that your daughter is her own person. And whilst she may have loved singing at 3, that might not be something she enjoys now. Music isn’t everyone’s be all and end all.

The best thing, in my opinion, is that you listen to what she enjoys and encourage that. Your daughter seems very talented so she may surprise you in the future! Nurture that.

Maybe it's not so much that she's gone off music as gone off "performing"?

With respect OP, you sound far more invested than most parents would be about this and I wonder if that’s something she might have picked up on?

We listen to music in the car usually and she does like ABBA, she also loves Russian and Greek folk music, Andreea Bocelli, Sam Smith, Whitney Houston, classical music, musicals etc.

I'm just very surprised at her lack of interest in singing and performing considering how well she was doing it at a much younger age.

Just wanted to know if anyone can relate. Of course she is her own person and I won't be pushing her if this is not her thing.

My son is 3. He frequently tells me to stop singing and that he doesn't like it. Rude. He does however sing along to rammstein with his daddy. I would say she's just got other interests at the moment. She may come back to singing in the future if she fancies.

Is this your daughter OP?

My child loved music when she was 4, then decided she preferred watching Peppa Pig instead. Then for awhile liked potatoes for dinner and 6 months later, liked singing again.

My point being is that she's still really young. Don't sweat it or try and influence her at this stage.