The other night Jeff and I turned in before the kids. Meredith was still in the living room, practicing piano before the next day’s session with her instructor. I still marvel at the roller coaster ride that is Meredith working through a new piece of music. One day she is trudging through the process in word and action, error after error–and the next day, her fingers move through the chords with ease.
On that particular evening, she was on the uphill climb, and after aggressively punctuating her anger by slamming her hands down on the keys, and stomping to her room, I knew it would take a bit more practice and a lot more patience with herself before she mastered that particular piece.
That said, I also fell asleep knowing she would return, on her own volition, to the same piece of music–which is why it did not surprise me to wake the next morning to hear her peacefully working through the troublesome measures from the night before.
Meredith has learned that the only sure-fire way to fail is never to try at all. This is not to say she welcomes it; she doesn’t–temporal failures can be debilitating when coupled with teenage angst and swarming hormones. Yet, her passion for, and love of, music is what draws her back to the piano bench where she tentatively tickles those keys once more.
Meredith just began her second year of piano lessons. Initially, she was very excited, but within 6 weeks–okay fine, 2 weeks–her excitement quelled significantly.
That is when the complaints began flowing:
“Why do I have to take piano?”
“My piano teacher expects too much from me.”
“Why can’t I just play piano on my own at home?”
“HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO TAKE PIANO?”
Trust me when I say these are not the words a parent wants to hear after investing in a piano that NO ONE ELSE in the house knows how, or wants, to play.
My response? “Two years. You have to play for two years minimum–it is good for your brain.“
The flip-side of this ongoing debate is the fact I never make her practice. Other parents who are much more liberal in their approach to homeschooling than I am, make their kids practice their instruments, but I don’t. Meredith schedules and practices her assigned piano pieces without any nagging on my own part.
I’m not bragging–I’m flummoxed.
When her two years are up, and she broaches the subject of quitting again (because she will–I’m pretty certain the day is marked on her calendar), what will I say? What excuse will I have then? Is an excuse even necessary?
Do I want her to continue? Yes, she is talented. I believe it will be important to her in the future.
Will I force her? Unlikely. Because I trust my children, and believe I’ve equipped her with a baseline and if she chooses later, she can pick it back up again.
How do you handle music lessons? Are they required in your home? When do you acquiesce if your children ask to quit?
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families across the nation. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.