3 Reasons Why Children Need Set Practice Times
Train Them Up:
Setting aside practice time for your children to learn the piano is a great way to help them develop a lifelong love of music. It encourages creativity, discipline, and helps to build a healthy self-confidence. As parents we are constantly called to draw out various levels of excellence in our children through the daily training of discipline in all that they do. Learning that there is a time and place for all things, including practicing a skill they have expressed desire in learning (in this case the piano) can improve cognitive skills such as problem-solving, memory/ information recall, and long term concentration. I desire for my children's learning experiences to transcend the instrument and bleed over skills and attitudes in everything they do. Here are a few reasons as to why setting aside practice time for your children is vital.
It develops our children's discipline.
Discipline transcends music lessons. It's something that your child will need in their life. To be successful at school, work, as an entrepreneur, or even as an athlete. Setting a practice time and sticking to it develops that discipline. As a parent, when you set the stage for your child to practice at the same time daily. It shows them what is required to be successful. No matter their feelings or motivation level.
It boosts their ability to focus for extended periods.
To play music requires an essential level of focus. Your child using their extremities to play notes as their eyes are looking at the music can present difficulties. The repetition of activating this focus will train your child's muscles to be able to focus on other tasks. Tasks like homework, activities, and your instructions. They will be able to activate that focus, blocking out ever presenting distractions.
It advances their development in musical understanding
It's no secret, no quick pill, to master an instrument. It takes time, to practice and play that instrument. According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours of playing time to master an instrument. So having a set practice time for your child helps chip away at that "timer". Similar to an investment banker whose first day on the job, compared to a seasoned 20-year veteran. It's not that the 20-year veteran is a better person, or more gifted. He just has more "playing time", he knows the right way, secrets, short cuts, to achieve the set goal.
