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As a parent, there are lots of hard decisions to be made. I started out thinking that I would never make my kids be involved in anything they didn't want to, because as a child I hated that. But what if you go along never forcing them to do anything, and then as a result, they never DO ANYTHING?
That is what I found myself facing with my son. He loves computer games and Nintendo and watching TV. I do require him to read at least ten minutes a day, but that is educational, and most of the time he'll read longer than that once he gets started. He isn't interested in sports but he does enjoy playing outside if he has a friend over.
Anyway, I decided to force him to be in band this year. He wasn't happy about it, but I told him that I wanted him to do it for a year, and then if he really hated it he could quit next year. So he sullenly agreed to do it. Then he found out that most of his friends were going to be in band, and he got more excited about it. Yesterday he came home from his first day of school and said that band is FUN! Insert huge sigh of relief from me, HERE.
I wanted the kids to not be so bored this summer, so I started them in music lessons. Daughter wanted to learn to play the piano, and Son was NOT INTERESTED. We have a guitar and a keyboard at home. I told Son that he was required to take guitar lessons, and again, he was not excited. However, he expressed a desire to have an electric guitar. I told him that if he learns to play the acoustic guitar and does well that I will buy him an electric guitar. He hasn't been very excited about lessons and practice, so I wasn't sure how hard he was trying since I'm usually at work when he practices. However, I was pleasantly surprised at his lesson yesterday to hear how much he has improved. I told him last night how well he is doing and that I was so proud of him.
I talked to him this morning before he left for school, and asked him if he remembered to practice his guitar. He said yes, and told me that it was FUN to practice!
So my conclusion to the above question is, sometimes, yes, you have to make them.
2 comments:
YES! Oh, I'm sitting here recalling with great fondness all of the "lessons" I was sent to:
Mom once hired a high school cheerleader to come to our house when I was little to teach me to turn a cartwheel because I needed to learn to get an A in PE - I never did learn, but we laughed and laughed.
I also took jazz dance, gymnastics, clarinet, went to "charm school" one summer, went to "modeling school" another summer - and also took piano, guitar, and clarinet lessons. In high school and college I took private voice lessons.
I may not be a professional singer, but the confidence and "stage presence" it all gave me was worth SO MUCH. When I became a teacher, or sang, or got involved in local theatre - I thanked them over and over again. Your kids will too - even if they complain in the process. :)
How do you figure all this stuff out?
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