“I
don't want to practice”, “I'm bored”, “Why do I have to
practice?”, It's not that important”, “It's not like homework”,
“How is this going to help me with anything?”, “I don't want to
play this instrument anymore”
If you haven't already
heard these comments and questions from your child, you may soon hear
a few of them. In a world of instant gratification, where we are
always finding faster ways of getting results, it's very difficult
for our children to even fathom the thought of slowing down to really
learn an
instrument.
One of
the best gifts you could give your child is the gift of music.
Studies have shown that learning an instrument increases
concentration and attention span. It also strengthens fine motor
skills, higher level thinking skills, and memory.
To be
perfectly honest, a huge percentage of children don't like to
practice and rebel against it. So what's the point of having them
stick with it if it's going to be an upward battle to get them to
practice? Learning an instrument does amazing things for our
children! It can be soothing, sparks creativity, fosters imagination, and builds their confidence. Children who learn to play instruments tend to get better grades in school. It teaches them self discipline,
accountability, and most importantly, perseverance. After grappling
with a really hard concept or piece, they are so proud of themselves
when they finally get it. Their peers, teachers, and relatives take
notice of their talent as well.
When our son was choosing
his electives for middle school he chose percussion as one of them.
Fast forward three years later and one of his fondest memories of
middle school was playing percussion in band but this is the funny
part....we had to make him practice his instrument almost every day. So you'd think that after three years of
us making him practice he'd want nothing to do with band in high
school. Once again he chose band as one of his electives and was
selected to be the drummer for the front ensemble! An amazing thing happened to him during his freshman year. He started practicing on his own! Not only that, he developed a passion for the snare drum and was chosen to be one of the drummers on the snareline for marching band as a sophmore. It finally hit
me....our kids like the idea of doing and being a part of things but
actually putting in the time and effort to do what they like is a
whole different story. That's where we come.
We have this golden
opportunity to teach our children about discipline, accountability,
and perseverance through the use of an instrument. Very few
activities these days teach these crucial qualities that our kiddos
need to become successful responsible adults. As my friend's husband says, "Kids already know how to act like kids. It is our job as their parents to teach them how to act like and become responsible adults" (Joel Cunningham).
So even if your child does not become the next virtuoso of the 21st century, learning an instrument will help teach them about life! Life, just as learning an instrument, has it's ups and downs and it's when our kids are at the bottom of one hill that they need our help to nudge them back up to the top of the next hill. Sometimes our kids will love playing their instrument and at other times they won't. Keep them at it! Wonderful things come from it. Down below are tips to make practicing easier at home:
So even if your child does not become the next virtuoso of the 21st century, learning an instrument will help teach them about life! Life, just as learning an instrument, has it's ups and downs and it's when our kids are at the bottom of one hill that they need our help to nudge them back up to the top of the next hill. Sometimes our kids will love playing their instrument and at other times they won't. Keep them at it! Wonderful things come from it. Down below are tips to make practicing easier at home:
-Let your
children know that practicing is just as important as school work
-Set up a
reward/consequence system (5 good practice days equals a reward:
extra screen time, a few extra dollars, choosing something from the
dollar store, staying up a half hour later than usual, etc. The
consequence for not practicing as they should could be to have a
privilege taken away like loss of video gaming time, etc.)
-Your children
will test you to see whether you are serious about getting
them to practice. Consistency is the key! Once they realize that
you expect them to practice on a daily basis, they will follow suit.
-Encourage them
to explore and experiment with the instrument.
-Have your
child play in front of the family once or twice a month or host a
mini-recital and invite a neighbor, friend, or local relative to
listen to your child perform. Serve a small dessert afterward as a
nice touch.
-Finally, focus
on the positive, praise them, and stay involved!
