Guest Post: Strike a New Chord With Your Kids

 As most parents can tell you, sometimes trying to find things for their kids to do can be challenging.

In a day and age when the Internet can all but take over a child’s life, there are many parents who wish that their kids were more in tune with better days. Days where they studied and practiced a musical instrument for example.

While having a child dedicate years to their lives with a musical instrument can be both time-consuming and expensive, the rewards in the end can be priceless.

For example, have you considered having your son or daughter at a young age consider local piano lessons?

Even though your child may very well not grow up to be the next great pianist of his or her time, the musical skills and enjoyment he or she gets out of it can be music to your ears.

If you are considering starting out your child with piano lessons, keep a few factors in mind, including:

* Don’t push them – The worst thing you can do is be too aggressive in trying to get them to appreciate the piano. Although time and effort can lead them to love playing the piano, pushing them into it can have the exact opposite effect. Assuming they are interested in piano lessons, start slowly and build from there;

* Set a manageable schedule – First and foremost, your child’s focus should be on their studies. Once you and they have that schedule under control, you can then focus on other activities, including piano lessons. Just like adults, children can easily get burned out in a day’s time. Schedule the lessons when they are at their peak performance, allowing them to enjoy it and not feeling like they’re going to work for an hour or two;

* Be encouraging – Just as you encourage your child with their studies, you must be encouraging when it comes to playing the piano or any other musical instrument for that matter. The worst thing a parent or parents can do is be negative about how their son or daughter is progressing with their lessons. Make sure even when things are not moving as quickly as everyone would like that you support your child. While learning the piano may not be difficult for some kids, others will need more time and patience;

* Be selective – Lastly, make sure you shop around when considering piano lessons for your child. While most instructors and businesses will have your son or daughter’s best interests in mind, some will not. You want an instructor who will take the needed time to help encourage your child each time they sit down at the piano, not be negative and condescending. Be sure to look into not only the experience level of the instructor and/or business you are considering, but also their personality. Would they seem like a good fit to encourage and support your child as he or she learns the gift of the piano?

If you’re considering piano lessons for your child, you may just hit the right note for both you and your loved one.

Photo credit: jamminwithyou.com