Teaching Your Own Children (or How to Not Lose Your Sanity or Your Tenmper)

As a second part to my recent post on Piano Method Books, I thought I would write about teaching your own kids.  Hopefully this will help any of you considering this for whatever reason (hello, dear sister).  It may be due to the cost or unavailability of teachers, or you may know a little (or a lot) about music and figure you can start them just as easily.  Here are some things to consider to make this go a little more smoothly.  This is purely from my own experience, but it may give you some things to think about:

1. Set aside a lesson time, just like they would have taking from anyone else.  Stick to it.  Put your other kids somewhere else or have your spouse or a friend around to help you. 

Make sure you explain your expectations to the other kids too.  Mine have finally figured out that when I'm teaching I am unavailable to help them.  Consider bribery.  At our house, piano lesson time means Wii time for anyone not involved.  What would work for yours?

Consider making aspects of the lesson group time if you have kids at the same general stages of music.  Play the games together.  Have older kids quiz younger kids on their alphabet or piano notes and play memory games with them.  Have younger kids listen to the older kids play like a concert and give 'critiques' at the end.

2. Keep it interesting and celebrate the small stuff.  Kids, especially boys, find sitting at the bench torture after about 10 minutes, but there are plenty of games and resources online to help them.  At those young beginning ages I try to do 10 -15 minutes at the bench and 10 minutes or so at the table or moving around in the living room.  If you want ideas for that side of it, let me know.

3.  Choose good books.  I get the best success for learning out of Faber's Piano Adventure books.

4. Don't be too hard on them.  I am way tougher on my own kids than my other students because I know their capabilities and their routine excuses. 

5. Be ready for every excuse in the book.  Your own kids will whine and complain way more than others.  I often remind my kids, "Would you act like this for Ms. Wood?  Then don't do it with me!"

6.  Be prepared.  You have to plan piano lessons must like school lessons.  Look ahead, see what concepts are coming, figure out how you're going to approach it.  If you have to spend time at the lesson figuring it out you will lose their interest and their faith that you know what you're doing.

7. Have fun!  This is time you get to spend one-on-one with your little one.  Enjoy it.  Play games, watch youtube videos, compose and create together and make it something you look forward to as well!

8. Don't give up easily.  It will take a while to get rolling and you will always have weeks when you wonder if it's worth it.  It is when you see the lightbulb go on or when you hear them play that song you've helped them struggle through for weeks on end. 

Just a few thoughts, hope they help someone.  Good luck!