Most children do not like to practice, but this is not an indication of lack of talent or that they shouldn’t study an instrument. It just means that they are normal kids, and that you as a parent have to find creative ways to provide encouragement.

1. Create a Musical Environment In Your Home

There are many ways to make music part of your family’s life. Sing songs to them and encourage your children to find their own singing voices. This will be easy, since children sing naturally when they play with their toys. Sing along with them.

Have a piano or keyboard in the home. The mere presence of a piano will stimulate interest in music, and will help the child play around with different pitches, and thus develop a relationship with the instrument.

Have different drums and shakers available for them to experiment with.

Play lots of classical music for them, because studies have shown that children are more likely to enjoy music they have heard a lot at home. Take them to live concerts.

2. Cultivate an Attitude of Learning

The home environment is largely responsible for a child’s attitude about learning. They learn discipline and success from their parents. An attitude of “try-until-you-succeed” is absorbed when they see the example of their parents. If children see that Dad and Mom are skilled at something, and that they became good at their gifts and talents by not giving up and working towards getting better and better, the children are more likely to be willing to make their own commitment.

Success in musical study depends on the commitment of the parents. Practicing the instrument is a daily routine like eating, studying other subjects, and sleeping.

3. Give Your Child Some Power

The child will be more willing to practice if they feel like they have some choices in the matter. They should be allowed to play some fun pieces of their choice, plus be involved in making a reasonable practice-schedule. Allow them to be a little silly during practice time and choose a program for them that utilizes more of a holistic approach of music-learning, rather than the traditional, rigid, inflexible drills.

4. Mutual Respect

Build a healthy relationship between you and your child, because getting a child to practice a musical instrument requires a great deal of cooperation. If the relationship between you and your child is not on friendly terms and your requests mean nothing to him, you might consider establishing this first before venturing into music study. Administer your discipline with love.

5. Start Music Study When They Are Young

Every child should have a music eduction, because music is part of society, part of the human spirit. Children should not be given a choice whether or not they practice a musical instrument, just like they do not get a choice whether to brush their teeth or not or do their school homework. So why should study of music be any different? It takes an adult with long-range perception to help the child continue on.

Bonus

One Thing That I Do

I have been studying the effects of essential oils. One oil that helps reduce stress and is calming is Lavender. The citrus oils have a refreshing property to them.

I take a few drops of either Lavender or citrus oil and sprinkle it on my air-conditioning filter, and when the heater or air-conditioner turns on, we can smell the scent of Lavender or Citrus. You can also use a diffuser or put some oil in a cup of hot water.

I sprinkle some drops of calming oils on my daughter’s wrists before it’s time for piano practice.