Piano has been our toughest subject. Sylvia has started to say she doesn't like it and I've felt my hair turning gray at the end of the lesson too often. And it has everything to do with me. I started off expecting too much. In the interest of establishing good habits (correct finger position, accurate timing, etc) early I have been too harsh and demanding. It can be so hard to remember that she's only five! Sometime last week I reevaluated my strategy and have been much more forgiving when she plays with the pad of her fingers instead of her tips. I've cut our load down to working on one song per lesson. We still work with a metronome but I don't expect perfection. Things have gotten better.

I also asked Sylvia what we could do to make piano practice more fun. She's come up with several solutions. She's decorated the piano with flowers from outside, we play silly little games (ex. I have to say "ding !, ding !" whenever she's played well), and today she got a sticker each time she played in time with the metronome.

There is a certain set of skills I'd like each of my children to master, even if they don't enjoy the work...especially in the beginning. But truly I do want it to be enjoyable, this is worthwhile stuff. I am sure there's a way to impart the skills without leaving a distaste and I pray I'm on the road to finding it.