classes for kids
Laura Johnson
My son Ben, who is five, has recently started his first real class, gymnastics. We have gone to some classes at the zoo or science museum, but these are the first ones where he has gone in alone without me participating with him. He asked for lessons after watching a kid on tv. His first comment after walking out was "These teachers were telling me what to do. I sure didn't expect that. You know how much I hate being told what to do." But, he wants to go back. He seems to like it fine, he said it wasn't what he expected and he wasn't able to do the tricks right away that the kid on tv did. But, he wants to continue. Everyone is telling me how good it is for him to have someone else tell him what to do instead of just me. "All kids need to learn that." whatever, I don't think so. He can take the class as long as he wants to. We go to science class in the park, but that's basically a guy that brings animals and the kids go on nature hikes, very very informal. He doesn't really like structured classes. As I watch him, the more I'm confident we are doing the best for him by keeping him out of school.
I do see a friend of mine who's daughter is in piano at 4. She has to force her to practice everyday. She just started and she's already forcing her to do it. Ugh, it seems so obvious that this is the best way for her to hate piano.
Laura J
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I do see a friend of mine who's daughter is in piano at 4. She has to force her to practice everyday. She just started and she's already forcing her to do it. Ugh, it seems so obvious that this is the best way for her to hate piano.
Laura J
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Elizabeth Hill
**He asked for lessons after watching a kid on tv. His first comment
after walking out was "These teachers were telling me what to do. I
sure didn't expect that. You know how much I hate being told what to
do." **
Everyone for 3 generations in the Hill family hates to be told what to
do. It's like a genetic marker for unschooling. <g>
Betsy Hill , who thinks "obedience" is one of the ickiest words in the
English language.
** Everyone is telling me how good it is for him to have someone else
tell him what to do instead of just me...**
I don't agree. While you can get ribbons for "showing" obedient dogs, I
don't think there are prizes offered for getting your kids to do tricks
on command from other people. (Note that I am mocking the people who
said this to you, not you. <g>)
after walking out was "These teachers were telling me what to do. I
sure didn't expect that. You know how much I hate being told what to
do." **
Everyone for 3 generations in the Hill family hates to be told what to
do. It's like a genetic marker for unschooling. <g>
Betsy Hill , who thinks "obedience" is one of the ickiest words in the
English language.
** Everyone is telling me how good it is for him to have someone else
tell him what to do instead of just me...**
I don't agree. While you can get ribbons for "showing" obedient dogs, I
don't think there are prizes offered for getting your kids to do tricks
on command from other people. (Note that I am mocking the people who
said this to you, not you. <g>)
Nisha
--- In [email protected], "Laura Johnson"
<lauraj2@v...> wrote:
I do see a friend of mine who's daughter is in piano at 4. She has
to force her to practice everyday. She just started and she's
already forcing her to do it. Ugh, it seems so obvious that this is
the best way for her to hate piano.
big enough to span an octave before then, so the teacher I had said
it wasn't really a good idea to start formal lessons then) I liked
playing around on the piano that my mother had bought a couple of
years before. She has always wanted to play the piano, read music,
etc. She drug my butt to lessons once a week, made me practice with a
timer, every day for six freakin years.. She learned to keep the
timer with her, or set her watch, because I'd change the time on it.
She forced my sister to do the same thing. We both had musical
interests, but were not asked if we wanted to take piano lessons, and
if we wanted to do something else, outside of school band or choir,
the piano lesson thing was always brought up. "Well you didn't try
with piano lessons, so why should I pay money for you to not try at
something else??" Yes my mother is a gem. NOT!
But anyway, Both my sister and I hated piano, and wouldn't even sit
down and play after we quit lessons if my mom was home. I am probably
getting a keyboard of some kind for either Christmas or my birthday,
but I'm not taking lessons, I want to teach myself. And if the kids
show an interest, I'll certainly encourage it, but it's going to have
to come from them, because it will backfire if it doesn't. I know
that from personal experience. You cannot really force someone to
learn and retain something long term. It just doesn't work.
Nisha
<lauraj2@v...> wrote:
I do see a friend of mine who's daughter is in piano at 4. She has
to force her to practice everyday. She just started and she's
already forcing her to do it. Ugh, it seems so obvious that this is
the best way for her to hate piano.
> Laura JI started piano lessons at about age 7. (your hands aren't usually
big enough to span an octave before then, so the teacher I had said
it wasn't really a good idea to start formal lessons then) I liked
playing around on the piano that my mother had bought a couple of
years before. She has always wanted to play the piano, read music,
etc. She drug my butt to lessons once a week, made me practice with a
timer, every day for six freakin years.. She learned to keep the
timer with her, or set her watch, because I'd change the time on it.
She forced my sister to do the same thing. We both had musical
interests, but were not asked if we wanted to take piano lessons, and
if we wanted to do something else, outside of school band or choir,
the piano lesson thing was always brought up. "Well you didn't try
with piano lessons, so why should I pay money for you to not try at
something else??" Yes my mother is a gem. NOT!
But anyway, Both my sister and I hated piano, and wouldn't even sit
down and play after we quit lessons if my mom was home. I am probably
getting a keyboard of some kind for either Christmas or my birthday,
but I'm not taking lessons, I want to teach myself. And if the kids
show an interest, I'll certainly encourage it, but it's going to have
to come from them, because it will backfire if it doesn't. I know
that from personal experience. You cannot really force someone to
learn and retain something long term. It just doesn't work.
Nisha