Monday, April 4, 2011
Get Up, Get Moving
Earning My Moniker
The boys have been taking piano lessons for just over three years now. This is usually the time when music students tend to drop off. My boys would quit if we'd let them. They don't know this but their Dad would allow them to stop their lessons. I, on the other hand, refuse to let them give up. We bought our piano after six months of lessons with the understanding they would stick with it.
My boys are used to school (especially math) coming relatively easy to them. They like to get by with bare-minimum amount of work possible to achieve good grades. As they progress with their piano lessons, the music becomes more challenging and requires more practice time. It is a struggle to get just a half-hour a day, which isn't really enough time.
Lately, I have been pushing for not only more time at the ivories, I have been tying in a reward/consequence system. Which helps keep me a "Bad Momma".
Colin let me record him for YouTube if I let him wear a fake mustache (part of a set I brought home from work). I find the boys are more motivated to practice if there is a performance involved.
How long should kids be pushed into lessons? What would you do?
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4 comments:
Every person I know, including myself, who played a musical instrument when they were young and quit, regretted not staying with it. Even if, at the the time, they hated or were bored with it.
Personally, I would continue to encourage them to continue.
I say they will appreciate your discipline when they are older and impressing the girls by playing the piano. I envy them. I always wanted to learn the piano. Not enough time or money when I was a kid. Now, there's not enough time or money . . . . Stick to your guns, Bad Momma!
I would keep it up too. It is hard to be the mom.
I want to say keep pushing them, because I quit my lessons after 4 years and regret it SO much. But I also have a kid who's musically inclined, but wasn't the least bit interested in keeping up with his trumpet or guitar lessons and no amount of pushing made a difference. If you can keep them going with it, more power to you.
Bravo, Collin! Great job!
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