Will I Always Have To Practice With My Child?

I think we can all agree parenting is much more of a marathon than a sprint.

The journey of parenting a child who is learning music from a young age into their teen years and beyond is one too

For those of us who are involved in the day to day practice with young children, we know that it takes a great amount of commitment and effort to keep moving forward.

We may ask ourselves “Will I always have to practice with my child?”

 

In the preschool, and early grade school years it looks like this: 

 

Your child has to be a willing participant but you are the one powering forward (and even helping them become a willing participant).

Progress feels slow sometimes.

You, as the parent, can get tired and wonder if it’s worth doing.

You wonder if it’s worth it.

But also, there are great times to be had if we enjoy the time together and enjoy the process.

Your child won’t always need you to carry practice along this way.

 

In the grade school years you are running together

If you keep going they come along too.

Sometimes we sprint along with a burst of energy and sometimes we talk slow walking breaks and catch our breath.

Sometimes we want to give up but we know we’ll be glad if we keep going and we power through. .

We are excited for the time when our children will be able to run on their own without us right there with them.

What we’re doing now is building the muscles for them to do this independently in the future.  

What does it look like to keep going when part of us wants to quit?

What if we just need to slow down and take some deep breaths so we have the energy to keep going?

Maybe we need to refuel?

Maybe our children just need us to encourage and believe they can.

Hopefully we learn to enjoy the great feeling we have from having put in the effort and gotten better, rather than focus on the resistance we feel to getting started.

 

Somewhere in middle and high school years it happens . . . we pass the baton & it starts to come from them

Our children might run with friends or as part of a team.

They may enjoy doing it alone.

They may not need us to run alongside them every step of the way.

We can cheer wildly from the side lines.

We can take them where they need to go to build their skills.

We can give them pep talks and help them talk through disappointments.

We can help them stay inspired.

And sometimes when they’re barely moving forward we can jump back in and run with them to the finish line.

They may look like they don’t need us anymore, but really they still do – maybe more than ever.

Sometimes it those people along the way cheering and shouting encouragement and saying they believe it can be done,that gives runners the energy to keep going.

 

Gretchen Rubin says “The days are long, but the years are short.”

 

The days feel long when we’re carrying our musicians on our shoulders, or running alongside them every step of the way.

But, looking back the years really do fly by and before you know it, we don’t need to do all that anymore.

 

It’s ok to be glad when that day comes, and it’s also ok to miss it.

It’s ok to feel like it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, and also the most rewarding.

That actually sums up parenting quite well.

 

All those miles traveled together, before they can do it alone, are a gift you are giving your child. The gift of your presence, your encouragement, your patience, and your time.

Some people tell parents of young kids to enjoy every moment – I won’t tell you that. Some moments are not enjoyable, some days we take deep breaths and will ourselves forward.

But some days make it all worth it the effort..

Enjoy those moments. Soak them up.

There are the parts of running that give blisters, and muscle aches and there are the parts where we have a runner’s high and feel on top of the world.

Maybe we wouldn’t appreciate one as much, without the other.