If your kids play an instrument, how & when do they practice?

[NormaSnorks]

Am struggling a bit with this for DS1 (10).

He plays two instruments (his choice, but very supported/ encouraged by me...)but I am finding the whole practice thing becoming a bit of a chore/nagging session (for me).

He knows he has to do it, and actually quite enjoys it when he gets into it, but it's the initiating it that's a problem, as we don't seem to have a fixed routine in place, and every week is a bit different with matches after school, and friends over etc.

He also still tries to persuade me to come an 'sit in' when he's practising, or to play with him (as I play one of the same instruments) and I simply don't have the time to do this all the time, and then he gets stroppy and says "well, I won't practice then"

So I guess my questions are:

• WHEN do you kids practice - is there a set time each day/ no. of days a week?
• Do they practice on their own, or do you get involved?
• If you play an instrument, how/when do you play together?

?

DD plays the cornet at school. She's not sitting any exams, and we don't pay for the lessons which is just as well as she never practices. I'm afraid I just don't bother insisting - life is too frantic, and it would just become another arguement. If I was paying for it I'm sure it would be a different story. That sounds awful, doesn't it

DD (9) plays 3 instruments and is on the verge of giving up one as she cannot humanly give each instrument the time it needs and do all the other things she wants to do (has a pony, athletics/hockey, debating...the list is endless). Now she is post G4 level on 2 of the instruments and G3 on another the teachers expect a minimum of 30 mins per day and she's often too knackered to do it.

We have always had a "rule" that she has to practice the day before a lesson and that she doesn't need to practice on the day of the lesson. She leaves home early so can't do it in the morning so she has to fit it in in the evenings. She does a really good session on each instrument on Sat and Sun. Sometimes she asks me for help or listens to the piece on Youtube or some music bank she has access to, occasionally I intervene if she's not really paying attention or I can hear she is getting frustrated (these interventions are rarely appreciated).

Morning practice sounds like a good idea in theory.

However, in a house full of definitely not morning people, it is never ever going to happen, is it - unless, as this morning, I shout at DS for not doing something else quickly (because we were, as ever, running late) and he stomped off to play piano - which may be good for his piano but is not great for my blood pressure.

DS (7) plays the piano.

He practices every night, but either me or DH sit with him to make sure that he's doing it right.

It is hard fitting it in sometimes though around his other activities, as he doesn't necessarily want to come home from hockey or football and go and do it.

Put me in the cr*p camp, too. .
But I am trying to reform.
DD has had violin lessons in school for almost 3 years; she almost never practised but I went along with it since she didn't do other activities.

Now she does heaps of activities and I have set a deadline: Practice 3x/week for at least 5 minutes each time, or stop lessons completely at end of the summer.

Ditto piano, which she just started in school -- she has been practising a lot (could be the novelty). Come this September I will raise the bar to 4x/week for 5 minutes, then double the time to 4x minimum 10 minute practice sessions a year later.

At the moment I usually mention practice to her once a day, on days when she doesn't have much other stuff on; but I refuse to nag or remind. It's down to her to want to do it.

I am learning piano myself and I am mildly obsessive about finding my own practice time!

oh gawd, this whole area is one where my pre-children rose-tinted view of motherhood and the current reality diverge in the extreme...

I imagined dainty blonde, frock-wearing daughters (think 'mini-me's...) happily grouped around a music stand playing flute, clarinet and recorders together...

Fast forward ten years, and I have two lanky, obstreperous and scruffy boys being press-ganged into any form of musical co-operation.

Norma - are you dainty, blonde and frock-wearing then ?

DD's previous school had a contract that said child had to practise for 15 mins at least 3 times a week. It was good to have something to aim for though often we only managed twice a week. That was when she was having lessons at school.

Now she manages 3-4 times a week, sometimes 5-10 mins, sometimes longer (if I'm sitting with her). Also depends if she practices her scales as well as her 'pieces' as she has a lot of them to get through.

marialuisa - how on earth does your DD manage to fit in 3 half hour sessions for each instrument. Does she just do one practice for each before the lesson? And a pony a well? My DD has just given up Drama as well as deciding to give up the clarinet so I am worried that she will be one of those children who gives up when things get difficult. She thinks she is getting a pony when she is 12, but I have told her that if she does, most other things will have to take a back seat.

I think it is easier to get DCs to practise if they have a good relationship with their teacher. I used to really like my violin teacher. As a result my mum could use the technique of saying 'Mr X will be so disappointed if you haven't practised. Think how pleased he will be if you've really tried this week.' A few times when I wanted to give up, she gave me the phone and told me that I needed to call him to tell him that I wouldn't be coming to lessons anymore. I never did thankfully! Apart from that, she never nagged me to practise, and I ended up doing my Grade 8 at 15 (started playing at 7) and going onto Uni to study music.

I still play in an amateur orchestra now, and love it.

BTW totally agree about leaving the instruments out.

Stealth.... not any longer (sadly)

No, actually, I never was - I hated frocks.... but a mother can dream....

Just found this

DD who is learning the piano has become more self-motivated to remember to practise now she has been put in for her grade 1

DS who is learning the cornet, is happy to practise his cornet, if I remember to remind him. Sadly I often forget

DD (7) plays both the piano and the violin. It was her choice, especially the violin which she started recently.

We made it very clear to her that we will only pay for her lessons if she practices both instruments. In fact, we've tried to discourage her as she is already busy most afternoons with after school clubs and/or homework. But she is adamamt that she wants to do both and somehow finds time to practice a little bit most days, even if it is just for a few minutes here and there.

Music teachers have told us 10mins is enough general practice. I've found the beginning of the day is best, as like you said OP, evenings always something happening.