7 Ways to Support Your Child’s Musical Interests

When your child shows an interest in something, it’s your duty as a parent to show your support. So if your child leans toward music and playing instruments, here’s how you can show your support even if you’re not musically-inclined yourself:

1. Enroll them in lessons

For non-playing parents, the best way to teach our child how to play an instrument is to enroll them in lessons. With a professional teaching them piano lessons or guitar lessons, your child can learn how to play faster and easier.

Pick a good teacher that will be able to hold your child’s attention during lessons while providing a suitable learning environment at the same time. Ask for recommendations from friends and family, as well as your child’s music teacher at school. It can also be a good idea to enroll your child in a group class where they can socialize with other kids while learning.

2. Help your child practice

Practicing at home is crucial when your child is learning an instrument. Even if their pick-up is fast, they might quickly forget what they learned if you don’t help them practice at home.

Even if you are not a player yourself, you can still help your kids practice their chosen instrument at home. Here are a few tactics that you can try:

  • Set up a regular practice schedule that will comfortably fit in their routine
  • Encourage them to practice at least thirty minutes a day or more, even when you’re not around to watch them.
  • Get practice pieces from their teacher or download sources from the Internet.
  • Work on difficult tasks or pieces together. Take note of what they’re having trouble with so you can tell the teacher next time.
  • Download kid-friendly practice videos that your child can follow.
  • Don’t force your child to practice when they don’t want to. Otherwise, it will make practice sessions seem like a chore.
  • Don’t make negative comments about their playing. It will take some time before they can get to a point where the music sounds good.
  • Provide lots of praise and encouragement.

Ensure you have the right musical equipment for them at home. This could be a guitar, a drummer pedal, or even spare strings for a violin. The key is to have any items and spares they might need.

3. Learn with them

You are your child’s first role model, and if they see you playing music, it will help encourage them to continue learning. While your child is taking lessons from a private tutor, consider learning the instrument yourself at home. As an adult, you might be able to pick up lessons faster or play instruments easier since you have better finger dexterity. So while both of you are learning, you can help overcome difficult tasks by demonstrating it yourself.

Moreover, some children learn better when they are teaching someone else how to play. You can ask them to teach you something while practicing to help develop their skills and build confidence. At the same time, this will allow you to bond with your child through learning.

4. Hold performances at home

It doesn’t matter if your child is a prodigy or a complete beginner. If your child wants to play for you and the family, it shows that they are proud of what they have learned, much like when they show you a picture they drew at school. Show them support by watching their performance with full attention and encouraging them to play for other friends and family.

5. Listen to songs together

Make music appreciation a bonding moment between you and your child. At the same time, you can also get to know the type of music they are interested in, as well as the pieces that they like to play. Help your young musician expand their range by introducing music as well. They might fall in love with the songs that you grew up, too.

6. Attend performances

Attend local music festivals or concerts by your child’s favorite artists. It’s a great way to introduce new role models to them at an early age, whom they can look up to when it comes to music. Use services like TicketSmarter to get access to some of the most popular shows in the country that you and your child will enjoy. Showing musicians your support will help your child know that they have your support in their passions as well.

7. Don’t push

Don’t force your child to take up music. Don’t push them to practice when they don’t want to. Don’t make them feel guilty by saying you paid for their lessons or instruments. Your child will gravitate towards their interests on their own, and you have to let them do so.

Seeing your child develop a skill or talent is one of the most rewarding moments as a parent. So if your child shows a deep interest in music, help them cultivate their passion by showing your unconditional support.

Richie

My name is Richie and I am a 40 year old father of two, a daughter and son. I am married to a beautiful woman named Destiny. She is the foundation of our family, and without her, none of this would be possible. During the day I work as a network security administrator for a local school district. At night I can be found illustrating books, working on websites, or creating music, but more than likely though I am spending time with my kids.

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