Dont Quit Now! How to Keep Kids Interested in Music Lessons

Dont Quit Now! How to Keep Kids Interested in Music Lessons Megan L. Few things are more frustrating than investing your time and money in an instrument and lessons for your child only to hear weeks later that theyve changed their mind and dont want to continue. Although youre frustrated and you want your kid to get the many advantages that music lessons have to offer, you also dont want to turn your home into a battleground. Whats a parent to do? If your child tells you that they dont want to continue with music lessons or if you sense that their motivation is slipping, you can take action. Read on to find out what you can do to keep your kid committed to learning music! Ask Why, and Really Listen The most important thing you can do is really listen to whats happening in your childs life that is making them want to quit. Do they feel shy or insecure about learning something new? Are they frustrated because learning music is more work than they thought?  Let your child know that its totally normal to feel nervous about trying a new activity and learning takes time. Share with them a time when you felt nervous or frustrated with something but you persevered and eventually succeeded. Put it on the Calendar Sit down with a calendar and write down all of your childs activities. If the calendar starts to look more like it belongs to a busy executive than a third grader, your kid is probably feeling overwhelmed and over-scheduled! If music is important to your child but stress is making them want to quit to get some free time, look at other activities and see if there is anything else that can be cut out. Talk to their Teacher   Everybody has different inherent strengths that come into play when learning music. Maybe your child is frustrated with the piano because theyre a natural drummer or a shy singer who would love to pick up a guitar. Talk with your childs teacher to see what their honest feedback is about your childs musical strengths and weaknesses. Switching instruments or going from an instrument to vocal lessons (or vice versa!) can help keep your kid involved in music in a way that is better suited to their learning style and personality. Try a Different Method   If your child is having a hard time with the pacing of group music lessons, get him or her involved in private, one-on-one music lessons. Ask your child how they feel about their teacher. If their teachers approach or personality isnt the best fit for helping your child succeed, dont feel bad about trying out lessons with a different instructor! Set a Goal Whether its learning a favorite song or preparing for a performance, help your child pick a goal and show them how continuing lessons will help them reach it. When kids see that their hard work and practice is going toward a tangible achievement, they usually feel more excited and determined to continue. Parents, how do you keep your kids interested in music lessons? Share your stories and advice in the comments! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by CProppe

Campus Information Sessions Part OneHow to Prepare

Campus Information Sessions Part Oneâ€"How to Prepare Campus information sessions are great tools for narrowing down your list from colleges of interest to final choice schools. But as with any major purchase or life decision, its crucial to have a strong idea of what you want before deciding. Prepare ahead of time for information sessions by determining what you want from your college experience and finding ways to measure the school against that during the session. Schedule your session Most schools allow prospective students to register for information sessions online, and they often recommend doing so at least three weeks in advance. After scheduling, make sure to note the location, time, cancellation policy, and contact information of the session in your calendarthat way, if something comes up or you have to rush to get there the day of, youll be prepared! Make a checklist Next, sit down with your family and make a list of what you want from the school you ultimately choose. What kind of social life are you hoping for? Are large student-to-teacher ratios okay with you, or will it make learning difficult? Think about issues like tuition costs, scholarship and internship opportunities, campus safety, dorm quality, a focus on faculty research versus teaching, or even the climate. Next, turn that list into a checklist that you can bring to each schools information session. It might be best to separate items on the checklist into needs vs. wants. This will give you an objective way to compare schools based on what you decided beforehand. While it will most likely be useful and candid, an information session is also partly a sales pitch crafted by the school to convince people to apply, so its important for you to arrive with a firm idea of your own goals in mind. Do your research After youve crafted your checklist, make sure to research basic information about the school so you can ask more specific questions at the session. Visit the university or colleges website and social media pages, and write down any questions you have after looking through them. Learn as much as you can about campus life, available majors, sport teams and clubs, and graduation or job placement statistics. If possible, you could even contact a current student to learn about his or her experience. If anything seems inconsistent or confusing, make a note of it. If youve already visited a campus or two, think back to information that surprised you or excellent questions that other students or parents asked during the tour, and add those to your list. Good preparation for campus information sessions can help mitigate outside influences and help you hone your list of schools using your own personalized criteria. Make sure to learn the basics from websites and social media beforehand, and use the information session to your advantage by asking follow-up questions about things that werent addressed online. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.