We have a piano. Its an upright one, oldish and probably past its best but we got it from ebay for a little under one hundred pounds with the delivery included. We got one because like all parents we have that ‘idea’ that the kids need…no really need to learn how to play an instrument. 😉
I have to say that watching someone play the piano well, for me, is totally mesmerising. There is something calming and trance like about it. I so wish it was an instrument i knew how to play.
Anyway so two out of our five kids have piano lessons and initially it started as plonking on the keys without any real care you know the way that young kids do *smile in a fake manner, clap hands and go YAAAY*
BUT we have taken it all on the chin, moments when you feel like screaming SHUTTUP then you remind yourself that they have to learn, its for the best and so you get on and stuff a bit more cotton wool in your ears and pop another St.johns wort in with your Pinot. 😉
My eldest daughter has been learning since she was 5 and is now almost at grade 1 and the difference in what she can do now is quite amazing..but sometimes the getting there has been a bit fraught with tears and tantrums.
Its hard for me as i am unable to help her most of the time. I never stuck with an instrument and so my knowledge is so lacking that all of them are now beyond my abilites. Fortunately their father didnt have the same slack attitude to childhood music lessons as me and he can now help them out.
As we have gone past the single finger banging out the notes stage and progressed to playing actual songs..it can be a little bit easier on the ears. But the downside to that has been that once they have ‘got’ a tune and they can play it well, without music, they become fuelled with a passion to drill the song into the unconscious mind of the people who inhabit this house and probably the ones either side.
Often at the most stressy moments of the day, like the school run for example. I will be frantically checking for shoes, hats, bags, last minute calls for that ‘oh so important thing that I really must take to school today’ when suddenly adding to the melee like the crazy soundtrack to my life is a double fast version of the latest ‘play-a-lot’ song.
You know sometimes i resist the urge i mentioned earlier and maybe even marvel again at the incredible talent pounding the ivories and other times i fail…
miserably….
and feel like dragging our battered piano into the street, smashing it with a hammer and cursing the day we ever ‘won’ that bid on ebay. 😉
Lately my son has been teaching himself how to play this song…
Please don’t ever sing this near me anytime soon….. *stares*
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Ha! I had the same thought but bought a keyboard, solely for the fact you can plug in earphones! I also bought a set of John Thompson piano course books (how I learnt) to teach DD and we haven’t even opened them yet. From months ago…another tick in the crappy mother box 😉
Glad I’m not the only one who thinks SJW and PG are a good mix! x
I want to get him into crafts. I’d love to have done that as a child.
Argh! Keep trying to comment using Comment Luv and it won’t let me! I too have a piano player in the family…she also does that dreadful thing of ‘banging’ out the same tune, just as we are about to leave the house. Today was her Grade 3 piano exam…thankfully we will never have to hear those pieces EVER again!
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oooh sorry i think there are issues with comments as i upgraded wordpress. thanks for commenting!
Yes, ballet lessons!
Yay it’s working.
I shall try for the last time to tell you how lucky your children are to have a mother like you.
My son brought home a letter once telling me a parent had contributed £7,500 towards their piano!!
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Not really, I let them make their own decisions on hobbies
Yes Karate! I hope they keep it up x
Piano lessons
No, not worth the grief….if they enjoy it, they’ll do it (unless we’re talking about making their beds in the morning!)
football tots
Piano Lessons
I make my daughter go to Brownies even though she would rather play out.
No, nothing
Being good?
Limiting salted meals because now my kid pesters for flavouring with food and will refuse meals unless a small blob of tomato sauce is added to the plate to flavour everything!
Nothing really. I like them to be themselves. Although putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket would be a bonus.
My kids do much more than I did as a child – although I wish they would read more!
Piano!
No, but they’re only 3 so could answer differently in a few years :/
spend more time with their grandparents, I never got the chance.
Looks great, son would love it!
They are Free spirits that will live by their own mistakes.. you should never push your own desires onto your offspring x.
golf!
no not really I let him do his own thing.
Nothing I can think of, but then its usually people saying they wish they had carried on learning a musical instrument that they try and get their kids to do. Not a musical bone within me, so that was never going to happen.
awesome looking prize
Running….I wish I had kept it up but I let my asthma hold me back.
I always try to encourage them to exercise and get the most of the outdoors.x
Nothing…They only do stuff they enjoy doing.
Wish i could let my children play outside with friends like i use to as a child 🙁
Yep, homework : )
Homework
I can’t think of anything
No nothing.
Piano lessons
Music lessons x
Studing harder at school.
Not really, although they do need a nudge to get their chores done – but who doesn’t!
I would have liked my kids to have had more time with my family!
Learning to play an instrument.
No nothing I can think of.
I have made them go swimming, and now they’re better swimmers than I am
No – I was made to learn the piano and I hated it, so I don’t force my children to do things that they would rather not do.
family time! I never bothered when I was younger , liked to hide in my room , I encourage my lot to enjoy family time.
nothing I can think of but son only 5.
Trying new things
Not really, I try to let them be themselves
I let my kids do the hobbies and activities I wasn’t able to as a child, even though it does strain the old purse strings, but I don’t push them into it, it’s their choice
No I don’t make my son do anything, but encourage him to take interest in things of his own x.
No, I just allow my son to pursue interests that he wants.
I don’t push my son into doing stuff, but I do think it’s good to ask him to tidy up after himself…. But next year he will be older and we will be putting him into kickboxing.
Not at the moment however if she starts something we will be encouraging her not to give up early.
He’s only 10 months old at the moment, but I’m making sure I took lots more photos than my parents did. I know its easier now these days with digital cameras but I feel there aren’t enough photo memories of my childhood
no i tend to just go with the flow but i have only one so its easier
This would make an excellent gift for my friend, who is obsessed with this LEGO franchise. Good luck to everyone! 😀
I would like my son to learn to swim from an early age, just as I think that this is a great skill to have
Making them all keep their rooms tidy.
No I wouldn’t force my kids into activities they weren’t keen on, although I do wish they would stick with clubs, they start full of good intentions but then get bored really quickly. I was the same, must be in the genes lol x.
Drama and dance lessons.
no, i would encourage but id never make them. like tidying there mess i encourage with pocket money etc
No, but my oldest is only 5.
No, but I will be encouraging them to learn to drive when they’re old enough
I make Piper and Daisy do exercise – nothing specific , some days it’s tennis, other days it’s riding a bike and sometimes it’s just running around. I’ve found that exercise tires them out so they are less likely to want to stay up into the wee small hours ;-).
Currently having a battle with my daughter over what to wear. Which resulted in her outside freezing in shorts and t-shirt yesterday.