I'm confused. I had my 8 year old son in Piano a couple years ago and took him out of it because he hated to practice. When I took him out of it he started crying and said he would practice. I still took him out of it because it was too late. So I recently tried again with guitar because he said he wanted to learn it. Now he continued to say he wanted to learn it but the same issue with practice came up. He says he wants to learn guitar but never takes initiative to practice. After I make him practice he goes 5 minutes and then asks if he is done. So I'm debating if music is for him or not. Do I keep him in and constantly be on top of him or just scrap music?
2007-02-05 11:34:26 · 16 answers · asked by Bruce Tzu 5 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Grade-Schooler
He's really too young to really know what he wants to do.
Take him completely out of ALL music classes until he's much older.
2007-02-05 15:30:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know exactly how it feels. I learned and played the clarinet for 3 years and I never wanted to practice because I felt that that was what the band class was for, and to this day 2 years later, my mom still bugs me to practice even though I no longer have the class and am now working in the dance area of the visual and performing arts.
Don't FORCE him to practice, but tell him that he can't get better with out practicing. If that doesn't work you can try and make it so practicing is a game, do it for maybe 15-30 minutes a day. Get him to get interested in performances, maybe that could count as "hidden practice time".
You could warn him that if he doesn't practice regularly then you will have to take the guitar away, maybe when he is ready to be grown up about it and practice. Try talking to him and ask him why he doesn't want to practice. He has to have SOME reason why he doesn't want to do it, logical or not.
2007-02-05 21:31:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our policy has always been that if our kids want to start something, they have to finish it. There is no quitting halfway through, whether it's piano lessons or a sport they want to join.
If your son wants to take guitar lessons, find out before hand how much daily practice time is expected by the teacher, and what the time frame of the lessons are. For example, piano here runs from September through May, and young students are expected to practice 15 minutes a day. Your son would have to agree to do the required practicing and stay in it for the full term, and if he complains then you just remind him that he made a commitment and he has to honour it. We have a clock on the piano so our daughter knows exactly when her practice time is finished, and also her teacher has a different system each year for rewarding the students who practice regularly, like stickers or points. If you don't make him practice, you're throwing your money away and wasting the teacher's time and effort. Kids don't progress or improve just by taking a weekly lesson, they have to practice what they learn. And by pulling him out, I kind of think you're teaching him to just quit if it gets too hard.
2007-02-05 22:46:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Practicing music is good practice for being responsible later in life. You should train your son now to take care of those before he is allowed to watch tv or play video games. In that way he will not only be learning to play music, but will also learn to postpone gratification and get his work done. This is a big part of the reason music majors are so highly sought-after by medical schools.
2007-02-05 21:44:47 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First, find out what instrument he wants to play, aside of the issue of practicing. Then equate practice minutes to video game, television, or computer minutes... Then, let it go. the more you make an issue of him practicing, the more he's going to rebel.
My mom finally stopped forcing me to practice, and let the teacher tell me she could TELL I hadn't been practicing. That was it for me... Mom was the good guy, the teacher was someone I very much respected, and I WANTED to learn the piano... so I practiced more. Probably never as much as Mom thought I should... but instruments and music should be FUN for the kids. If it's not? Then they're not going to keep doing it...
2007-02-05 20:52:46 · answer #5 · answered by Amy S 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I started learning clarinet in 4th grade and the way that I was motivated to practise was that my lesson teacher would give me candy if I did well enough on the page worth of homework. I don't really know if bribery is that great of a thing, but that's what got me to practice when everything sounded so bad at the beginning. Just an idea...good luck!
2007-02-05 21:57:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Boy, does this sound familiar. I have walked in your moccasins. It sounds like your non-practicing guitarist is about 10, right? Old enough for a contract. I wrote up a brief "Promise to practice" note which mine signed and whenever he complained I just took out the note and threatened to sue for breach of contract. There were clearly defined ramifications if he slacked off.
He wanted to do a second instrument, but then quickly decided it wasn't for him, so I had him write up a release form and sign it to permit him to stop that one. When he later complained I'd made him quit that instrument, I had his signed release to get him to back down and hold me harmless.
No, I am not a lawyer and I don't play one on tv. But I believe sometimes it's a good idea to get things in writing even if those involved are kids. :)
2007-02-05 21:00:40 · answer #7 · answered by World Traveler 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My poor mother went through this with me when I was a kid. I was made to pracice every day (except special occasions) for 30 minutes a day. If I were you, I wouldn't stop with the lessons yet. Make him practice and he'll enjoy it more when he starts to see some results from his hard work. Trust me, he'll thank you later!!
Also, letting him quit again is only sending him a signal that it's okay to quit. At least set a time limit for him like a year and if he still wants to quit after that, then okay.
Good luck!!!
2007-02-05 19:40:59 · answer #8 · answered by bluegrass 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, do NOT force a kid to practice music, music should be something they ENJOY not dread. So he wasn't practicing piano like YOU wanted him to practice, was he ENJOYING it? I took piano for seven years and RARELY practiced when my parents WANTED me to. I would practice when I wanted to and very often it was when everyone was out of the house when I was alone, I would play the piano for hours. I went on to teach myself the accordian, guitar and clarinet. I also went on to take flute lessons. Maybe I did so well with music because I wasn't forced to practice.
2007-02-05 22:16:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must teach him that his actions have consequences. If he wants to take up an instrument, then he must practice it. You really should enforce that rule. It won't be easy, but in the end, he will have learned a valuable lesson.
Now, if you do not wish to make him practice, stop indulging his every whim and desire. Learn to use the word NO and stick with it.
Good luck.
2007-02-05 19:44:25 · answer #10 · answered by maddojo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dont let him quit anything. If he says No i dont want to practice say fine you dont want to watch Tv..or play video games or something like that. If you let him get away with quitting everything now hes going to have a tough life. Tell him before he starts things from now on that he will finnish it and there is NO way he is going to quit. Letting him do so is only hurting him, you arent teaching him what its like to reach goals or to really work for something. Good Luck
2007-02-05 19:39:19 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋