My wife and I were each forced to practice when we were kids and neither of us has picked up an instrument in decades.

Our one teen is an occasional piano player and the other teen practices his guitar almost everyday. They get lessons when they want them.

Anonymous wrote:My kids have gone two different directions on this. One hasn't touched the instrument, the other is spending a lot of time practicing, looking up techniques, experimenting etc . . . We arranged online lessons for the second kid, but not the first, because we kind of saw that coming based on their interest before.

Same. But the practicing kid
Always did so before this also. The non practicing kid didnt.

Yes. It’s just part of her everyday.

Yes but we started lessons because he was playing songs on his own.

Yes, and it's pretty much the only thing she does consistently, because I can hear it from downstairs. I can't keep running upstairs to police her other schoowork every hour, but I know when the cello comes out I love it!

Yes, my 11yo son is practicing his horn instrument, although he's not doing any structured playing or taking online classes (he learns at school). For the moment I'm just getting him to practice about 10 minutes at the end of his "home school" day. He's doing some "freestyle" playing while making up songs, goofing around a little bit and he's always enjoyed playing and it seems to come naturally to him.

I'm at least getting him to do scales and his most recent assigned song from school. He won't really advance at this rate, but it keeps him from getting rusty while I finish a work project --after which I could explore some online classes or similar.

When I force it, most days but not every day.

My seven year has been practicing piano more but not every day. He still likes the zoom lessons.

If he usually likes it, I might try sticking with it. But if he was ambivalent before, it might be time to call it.

I tell my 9 year old to practice for 20 minutes every day. I have to use a time limit because technically he is only assigned a few songs to play a few times each, and he will rush through them to get done. I don't get much complaining about it, but then again it's only 20 minutes. I usually do it right after dinner so that he hasn't had time to settle back into screen time and it sets the routine

9 year old DD has more time to practice, and her teacher has increased expectations. It used to be challenging. Now it’s INTENSE. Twice a week. Hours a day. Entire phrases of not-easy double stops that need to be perfectly in tune from one lesson to the next.

Yes, my 15 and 12 yo practice every day.

Yes my 14 year old daughter practices both her instruments daily and enjoys her Zoom lessons. It’s been nice to have extra time for good practices.

We found at age 9, she needed a lot of encouragement. Can you get more involved? Take notes in the lesson? Participate in the practices?

My kids have gone two different directions on this. One hasn't touched the instrument, the other is spending a lot of time practicing, looking up techniques, experimenting etc . . . We arranged online lessons for the second kid, but not the first, because we kind of saw that coming based on their interest before.

Yes, but he's 15. 9 year olds are rarely self-motivated. If you don't care, just drop it until you can resume in person lessons.

Getting my 9 year old to practice his violin is usually a struggle, but he enjoys his weekly lesson and we’ve been able to keep it going for about 2 years. Now his lessons have moved to Zoom and he clearly couldn’t care less about it, and honestly I don’t either, but I feel bad quitting now when his teacher could probably use the income. It’s painful listening to her sound a little exasperated though because she can sense his ambivalence. Just wondering if others are having trouble keeping up the motivation. I can get him to complete his school work no problem, but anything beyond that just isn’t happening.