When I began teaching my younger daughter to play the cello, she made it clear to me in her way that she was not interested. Five minutes into the lesson, she would say, "Mommy, can we do this tomorrow?"
I finally asked her if there was an instrument she was interested in learning. And she chose the clarinet. Now, she is sixteen and on her way to becoming a professional clarinetist.
Many parents wish their children could learn how to play an instrument. Sometimes, the children in question might not be interested in learning music, much to the parents' disappointment. It is common for parents to feel the latter.
However, we as parents must recognize the difference between encouraging an activity as opposed to expecting our children to become something they are not interested in pursuing. That could be in music, dance, sports, martial arts, painting, or drawing.
Therefore, letting our children choose their own paths is equally essential.
To the best of our abilities, we can still provide them with the appropriate tools and choices to decide in which area they want to focus in life.
Apart from their formal education, I offered my daughters some choices like sports and arts in addition to their music lessons. In time, all the things they had no interest in dropped off from their schedules, and we were left with music and tennis. Nowadays, both my daughters are on their way to becoming professional musicians, and they play tennis as a hobby.
Even though I had provided them with the opportunities to participate in different activities after school, I also listened to them. I made sure that they wanted to take part in these classes.
I have learned as a parent that options help a child to decide their likes and dislikes. And even when I am a musician, it did not mean to me that my child had to become one. Children can be encouraged to learn, understand, and love music.
If you want to motivate your child to show more interest in music, take heart and be patient.
There may be some things that you can reconsider if you are in this situation.
Your child may still be too young. Some parents think the child has to start at a very young age, like four, let's say. It might vary from person to person, but the ages of four and five are relatively young to begin playing music.
A good age to begin playing an instrument is between six and nine. This does not mean a child can not start playing music when they are younger or older, but this age bracket is usually a good one to begin learning.
Then, there is the choice of instrument. Suppose your child is not interested in playing the violin. In that case, they may be interested in learning how to play another instrument.
To know what instruments they might be interested in playing, they need exposure to music by attending concerts, listening to music, and seeing their peers playing instruments through a music school in their area.
They might see an instrument they are interested in during the concert, just as it happened with my daughter. We were attending a concert at a music summer course here in Austria. She heard a clarinetist play, and she became interested in the instrument.
If the parent is a musician, playing at home also helps in motivating a child to practice.
The element of enjoyment is also quite important. It should be enjoyable to practice. That will serve as motivation to want to continue playing an instrument.
In my case, the one crucial thing to me was that I loved playing my cello. I came home every day from school and would practice my cello before anything else.
So, a child has to discover that playing can be a joyful and quite exciting thing. There are always new things to discover when one practices their instrument.
Support is also vital in the beginning and intermediate stages and well into the advanced stage. Things like being at their performances or even helping them practice according to their teacher's directions can be beneficial.
Interest and motivation build little by little over time.
If you are facing this issue where your child is not interested in music, take heart and take little steps/actions to help and encourage your children so they appreciate and love music.
What actions can you take today to promote love for music in your home?
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