How to get your child to practice

Practicing can be one of a parent's worst nightmares. You're paying for private lessons, your child loves the lessons but he or she just won't practice. Face it-they're kids and kids will always rather be doing something else. Not all kids, but quite a few.

Basically, the parent and the teacher have to work together on this. I always tell my students that we're a team. I teach and they practice. That's how the team works. Parents can do the same thing. As long as you are taking him or her to lessons they have to hold up their part of the arrangement by practicing.

Set up a time that is always the same for practicing. After homework for instance. That way the student becomes acclimated to a certain time of the day that is practice time. Don't set timers because they will spend the time counting the minutes. As long as they play the pieces enough to improve, that's good. Very small children may only play a piece a couple of times but it's the consistency that's important. Once every day is better than five times every few days.

Ask to hear the songs they are playing. I remember when I was young my mother would always want to hear the songs I was practicing and would always have something positive to say even when I totally butchered a song. It made practicing more fun with her in the room.

Remember that most children will not practice unless the parent tells them to do so. Practicing can seem like work to them. What we want to reinforce always is the sense of accomplishment they feel when the songs are mastered and children do feel that. Eventually they will practice on their own but until then we have to gently wear them down about it.