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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Do you force your kids to do instrument practice and/or not let them stop when they want to?

53 replies

sunnydelight · 22/09/2008 05:32

I'm not being as confrontational as the title suggests, honest, just curious.

I'm facinated at the number of conversations I've had with friends recently who seem to spend huge amounts of energy nagging reluctant kids to practice the piano or whatever. One perfectly pleasant woman won't let her 9 year old have anything to eat in the morning until he's done 20 minutes instrument practice, another trades minutes of practice time for minutes of tv/computer time. This kid has been begging for at least two years now to stop lessons but she won't let him as she feels it's good to play an instrument.

With three kids obviously I know how important it is to encourage "sticking at things", and I don't let my kids chop and change at a whim. Money spent on instruments is obviously also a factor. I do however wonder what is the point of insisting that kids continue with something that they really don't want to do. Surely "extra-curricular activities" should be something that kids enjoy doing, and a bit of a treat away from the usual school work, homework etc. What do you think?

OP posts:
Freckle · 22/09/2008 06:55

Well, I only really insist on practice where they have begged to learn the instrument and we have eventually paid out £000s on buying their own. I refuse to see that money go to waste.

Actually, DS1 is learning the saxophone (his request) and has opted for Music GCSE, so it's really important that he practice. He needed to have his own instrument so we took the money for it out of his building society account and have promised to pay it back when we are satisfied that he does sufficient practice. He is doing slightly more than before but not enough to warrant any refund so far.

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 22/09/2008 06:39

i dont know if bribiong means that they dont like it though does it? thugh i suppose begging for two years does.

my daughter does dancing atm she is back to being obsessed with dance class. she eats, sleeps and breathes dancing.

i am prepared to 'persuede' her to keep going to classes when this wears off as i let her leave last year and now she is upset that she is not as far on as what she was. she has no competition classes or troupes etc. she is just a normal new starter again. she probably wont be in the x mas show as much as she would have been either.

if it becomes clear that she hates it rather than she just cannot be bothered or would rather do something else that day then i will let her stop.

although with dd if she doesnt want to do something she does not do and no amount of bribery or persuesion will change her mind.

arfishy · 22/09/2008 05:59

DD is only 5 so not too much experience of this yet. I do have to bribe her to do violin practice. She wants to do cello soon so I'm telling her that she has to show she can stick with the violin before we'll do cello. I don't make her do practice daily though, once or twice a week.

If she tells me that she truly hates it at some point I'll let her give up at the end of the year.

She did tennis camp today for the first time and I was in two minds about getting a racquet for her in case it's a two minute wonder. I did anyway and I think she enjoyed it. We're not a particularly sporty family so I don't think I'd make her stick with a sport that she hated (memories of always being the last picked on any team).