You can't get your child to practice! There are tantrums and door slamming. The child yells she wants to quit! Your child tells you he hates piano!

You want your child to be able to play the piano, but the hassle is getting too much for you. What to do?

Stay the course! You must make decisions for the child that he is not competent to make for himself.

Be a parent, not a friend. This takes guts.

More information is available on this topic in my file on how to help kids practice. Look toward the middle and the end.

There are also numerous questions on this topic in my QA file for parents and students.

Stay the course! This child cannot make this important decision for himself.

For what it's worth: I speak to many adults who say, "I took piano as a child. I gave my parents such a rough time that they let me quit. I'm sorry they did." Never have a met an adult who said, "I took piano as a child. My parents let me quit, and I'm glad the did." Never have I heard this. Stay the course!

copyright 2009, Martha Beth Lewis, Ph.D.
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