What is Age-Appropriate?
When it comes to music for children, what is age-appropriate? What does that even mean? Appropriate as opposed to morally or socially unacceptable, or appropriate on a developmental and educational level? And who sets these standards of appropriateness? Early childhood experts? Parents? Local religious precepts? Community mores? State laws?

Trust Your Instincts
The bottom line is this: trust your parental instincts. If you feel uncomfortable having your child hear a particular song or watch a specific video, ask yourself what bothers you about it and tell your kid why you feel that way, if they're old enough to discuss it with you.

Sing!
Even with the best music collection in the world, nothing beats singing to your baby, playing instruments with your toddler, dancing with your preschooler, or reciting nursery rhymes to them. In fact, until they've reached an age where they can comprehend "appropriateness," feel free to keep up the one-on-one musical activities with your child and don’t even bother with CDs.

Top Picks
Here are some of the best recently-released albums for children that I’ve classified by age group according to my general idea of appropriateness:

Music for Babies and Toddlers

Dean Jones, Napper’s Delight
Enzo Garcia, LMNO Music-Pink
Johnny Bregar, Stomp Yer Feet!
Little Miss Ann, Music for Tots
Melanie Dill, Alphabet Parade
Various Artists, Putumayo’s African Dreamland
Music for Preschoolers and Early Elementary Children

Dog On Fleas, When I Get Little
Elizabeth Mitchell, You are My Little Bird
Father Goose, It’s a Bam Bam Diddly!
Frances England, Family Tree
Gunnar Madsen, I’m Growing
They Might Be Giants, Here Come the 123s
Music for Upper Elementary Children

Captain Bogg & Salty, Prelude to Mutiny
The Jellydots, Changing Skies
Mr. Leebot, Activate!
Morgan Taylor, Gustafer Yellowgold’s Have You Never Been Yellow?
Recess Monkey, Wonderstuff
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Easy

什么是年龄相称？

当谈到孩子的音乐时，什么是年龄相称？ 那甚至意味着什么呢？相称是从道德或社会方面来反对不被接受的东西，还是在发展或教育层面上与之相称？ 并且谁规定了这些标准？ 婴幼儿专家？ 父母？ 地方宗教规范？公共道德？ 还是地方法律？

相信你的直觉

底线是： 相信你做父母的直觉。 如果你让孩子听一首特别的歌曲或者看一个特殊的光碟而你感到难受时，问自己什么让你烦躁，如果你的孩子足够成熟跟你讨论这个问题了，把这种感觉告诉他。

歌唱!

就算有世界上最好的音乐，也没有什么能敌得过给你的宝宝唱歌，给你学走路的孩子表演乐器，和你上幼儿园的孩子一同跳舞，或者背诵童谣到他们听。实际上，等他们到了能领会“适合”的年龄，孩子不用CD都能配合这种一对一的音乐。

最佳精选

下面这些是最近发售的儿童最佳专辑，根据我的相称理论，我按年龄段分类：

婴幼儿音乐

迪恩-琼斯，拉毛工人的喜悦
恩佐-马西亚， LMNO 轻快音乐
约翰尼-布罗格， 踩她一脚！
小安娜，小儿音乐
麦兰妮-迪而，字母游行
群星，普士马由河的非洲理想国
托儿所和入学儿童音乐

跳蚤上的小狗，当我小的时候
米切尔-伊丽莎白，你是我的小小鸟
呆鹅爸爸，浜浜音乐
弗朗西丝・英格兰，家庭树
加那-麦德生，我在长大
他们也许是巨人，123，这里来
小学生音乐

博格船长，反叛前曲
简丽多斯，改变天空
里欧博特， 行动吧！
摩根・泰勒， Gustafer的金子  从没害怕过吗？
悠闲猴，  神奇女孩
特务 ， 23，走开，我要自由