Annie has currently been in piano lessons for two months. She goes once a week to the kindest lady on the planet (a Kindergarten teacher no less) and for a half an hour she tells this woman that she "can't" and "doesn't want to" play the piano. This is all while doing everything she tells her to do. It's a conundrum.
My daughter tells me she loves the piano and she gets so excited when she masters a piece, but then she says that she "feels like she needs to quit." These words usually come when I tell her that she has to go to piano lessons rather than playing at a friends house.
She's moderately good at the piano - not terribly gifted. Wait a minute! She's five!!! Who is terribly gifted at five???? I'm not expecting a prodigy - just a willing participant.
I am recalling a cute teenager's testimony at church one Sunday. He thanked his mother for all those times she "forced" him to practice the piano - because now it's one of his favorite things in the world to do. I need to be that mother who doesn't back down at the first sign of a frown - especially when I see all the smiles happening at home.
If you have any words of encouragement, please leave them here. If you hated your piano lessons when you were a child and it ruined your life and your dog now hates you because of it - keep it to yourself.
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6 comments:
Keep it up! It will be worth it. Coming from a mom who has done music lessons with all of them...And I teach piano lessons now, too! Landon, who is now ten, was my biggest rebel. Please, can I quit? Please, when I'm 8 can I quit? When I finish this level then can I quit? Now that he finally "has the hang of it" he actually enjoys it! The only time he "hates" it is when it interferes with his social life. So we practice in the morning before school (plus he can focus better then) so when he gets home he can run wild and free! (Except on Thursdays when he has lessons!) Good luck! Keep it up! You're such a great mom! Oh, and practice is way more important than natural talent. Read "The Outliers."
so you know my story I was certan Betsy Baily moving was a total answer to an 8 year old's prayer (was I older than 8?, who knows)... did it ruin my life.. no... but sounds VERY reminicent of Annie.. did everything teacher asked wasn't horrably talented but didn't stink.. but hated every minute of it.. in our house you have to finish what you started.. ie: sports, what ever.. set up a "finisih" point.. if she THEN wants to quit.. then I'd say fine.. ALSO she is only 5 so maybe if she really hates it you can try it when she's a little older.. I know i'm not much help.. keep doing what your doing...
We didn't start Paul until he was 7; we have a piano teacher friend who says there isn't much point in starting them until then. SO if she ends up really being a stinker about it you can always go on hiatus and start again later. But if we let kids out of everything they whine about then they pretty much won't do anything, will they? One mega-important lesson I learned from my upbringing is the importance of NOT backing down because your kid whines. My mom sometimes says "I could never be as cruel as you," but I'm not cruel - I'm firm.
I really disliked piano lessons as a child and now that I'm older I really wish I would have stuck with it longer. Make her do it or she'll more than likely regret it when she's older!
When your Dad and I put Jack in the mission home all I could think of was "I never got him piano lessons". Keep at it. I also heard that 8 was the best age to start due to a child's cognitive development, but Annie reads so well I think her learning development should be where she could do it. This is where the Mothers curse is fulfilled. You know you are really the Mom.
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