We've all heard the stories. A child is left with the babysitter, who keeps the cartoon channel on all day while she does the chores, and the child grows up speaking English as a first language, accent and all. Another child, so the story goes, grew up in a house full of dogs, and his first sound was a bark. I can't vouch for that last one. But here is a story I can vouch for, because it happened in my own home.
The day I found out what my daughter was listening to
When our daughter was small, Teacher Jane and I were both working, so she spent most of her days with her babysitter. Her babysitter was only seventeen, and like most teenagers, she loved the pop songs on the radio. Without our noticing, her music became our daughter's music.
I only found out one day when I asked my daughter, then about three years old, what her favorite song was. She immediately belted out "Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin." Right there and then, I knew an intervention was in order.
So I started playing my own music for her: Sting, Earl Klugh, Phil Collins, Don McLean. I taught her how to switch on the mini-component in our bedroom and load the CDs herself. She learned quickly, and her tune began to change. There were no MP3s then, so I paid for her music education with scratches on my treasured CD collection.
As she grew older, she naturally picked up the music her friends liked, again by exposure. But she never let go of the music she grew up with. To this day, she still hums along to Neil Diamond and Paul McCartney.
The lesson: exposure shapes taste
Children don't choose their first loves from a menu. They grow to love what they are surrounded by. If we don't decide what our children are exposed to, someone else will: a babysitter, a TV channel, an algorithm. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6, BSB).
Expose them on purpose
Music is a natural place to start, because children are so drawn to it, even if they are not especially musically gifted. But the same principle works for every kind of good thing:
- Live performances. There is a kind of magic in sitting in a concert hall with real singers and musicians that makes children listen. Look for choirs, school and church programs, and concerts that welcome children. Check the age limit before you buy tickets.
- Art and history. Visit museums, galleries, and historical sites, and talk about what you see.
- Our own culture. Let them see Filipino folk dances, hear our songs, and taste our regional food.
- Books. Keep good books within reach and read together.
- Nature. Take walks, name the trees and birds, and let them get their hands dirty.
- Faith. Let them hear worship music, Scripture, and the prayers of their parents at home.
Today's version of my CD player is a playlist. The principle hasn't changed: choose what fills your home, before a screen chooses for you. Read: From TV to Tablets →
Why exposure matters to us at Eastbridge
A child can't discover a gift they have never been exposed to. That is why, at Eastbridge, we give children room to try music, dance, art, sports, and more, and we watch for where their gifts show up. Read: Discovering and Nurturing Your Child's Gifts → · Read: Does Music Make Children Smarter? →
As for me and my house, it's exposure time. How about yours?
— Pastor Gerry Limoso, Founder and President, The Eastbridge School. First written in 2010; revised in 2026.
Every child has gifts worth discovering.
Visit Eastbridge, meet our teachers, and see our classes in action.
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