Music practise together at home

As a parent of a budding musician you know how important it is for your child to practise...right?" I don't feel like practising" What can you do as a parent of a child stuck in a low feeling mode regarding music practise? One option might be to set goals and see them delivered together.Well before the first music lesson children can begin to understand the value of goal setting.  As parents we can help our children set their own goals. Goal setting can be started at any time with any subject.However life is also about enjoying the moment we are in. Mindfulness through music includes reducing stress. In other words the playing of music is in itself a mindfulness exercise. The goal then becomes a guide to help children focus on what they need to do in order to play music. The goal is not just another thing to be reminded about completing.One goal might be to be able to play a certain piece of music buy a certain date. Keep the music simple and the date close...even a week is a long time for a child. Writing the goal on paper and posting it on the fridge keeps it at eye level for children. They can tick their own boxes when the piece is completed and create another goal for the following week.The emphasis here is not on how long or how hard to practice, but on enjoying the result as driven by your child. Children love doing things with their parents. If you can spend a few minutes sitting with your child at the start and end of the practice time your child's goal will be reached together. This is a great outcome for the whole family.The reminder to practice then becomes: "Sally I can't wait to hear how you are going with the ("Little Mermaid" or other) song. Let's take a moment now together (or in 10 minutes...)."