Welcome back to our series on practicing with kids!
So far, we have covered rewiring our brains for ultimate enjoyment, consistency in time, length and presence and now we move on to US. Me and you. The parents of the situation.
This tip is for you and you alone.
BE READY TO BE SILLY AND PATIENT.
When a child plays a wrong note, instead of getting upset, get silly!
“Wow! The way you rewrote that song is incredible! Oh, wait. That’s not how this song goes? Well, you had me fooled! Show me how it is supposed to go.”
Laugh. Don’t laugh AT them. Laugh WITH them.
Allow for a few minutes of laughter and silliness and then circle it back around to the task at hand.
Here is where patience comes in. Don’t rush the laughter. Let them enjoy the moment. Once you feel the shift in the air, dive right back in with encouraging words to get back to work.
“Oh man. That was a good laugh, wasn’t it? Now, back to measure 12, let’s see if we can fix that. Would you like my help or can you do it on your own?”
Just like that you are back where you need to be. Remember that your kid is a kid. Remember that kids like to laugh and we can join them and, not only enjoy their company but also build our relationship even stronger!
Come back next week for our final tip on practicing with kids.
