How much practice does your Grade 6 teen do?

[HappyHolidays75]

I'm fuming right now after my child's music teacher has suggested I've been making him do extended periods of practice and that less is fine/better. He asked dc if I had, and dc said yes. Teacher said do minimal amount, if any, between now and exam in 2 weeks time.
What actually happens is dc spends max 30 mins from start to finish. In that time he will go for a drink, to the toilet, oil valves, play a different instrument and sit in silence. I reckon no more than 15 mins actual playing. He'll claim to have finished after being in there for 20 mins and I'll send him back in.
I am furious. I've spent literally months encouraging more. I just want to check it's not totally out of place!
DC actually does enjoy playing, wants to do exam and wants to succeed. He is just a lazy so and so and the teacher (in my mind) is really not helping.
Thanks!

This sounds more like a teen exaggeration issue than a practice issue (I wonder what was actually said by your DC to the teacher!). Really the teacher should see through it! Or is something lost in translation? Like the teacher wanting more focus, even if that means less time?

30 minutes a day of willing if not totally focused work is totally fine for a musical teenager, working towards the higher grades. Very far from child exploitation!

Have a or . Much as we love our teen DCs, they can be seriously irritating

Mine did 15 mins a day (g6 French horn) and ramped it up in the week before the exam. Got a merit.

@TaggieOHara you've pretty much nailed it there, but equally the teacher has been slack on his teaching too (bottle flipping in lessons, seriously?) so this was a bit the last straw from both ds and teacher.
Just home from work and the instrument is out of its case so maybe some playing has been done at least.
Thanks all xx