Friday, April 13, 2012

It's all about...T I M E!

This is what one mom had to say after attending a sample class and registering her son for next fall:

...he was in heaven, and I was thrilled to feel like I found just the right thing for him. I think that Let's Play Music and you as a teacher are going to really help him get him ready to start Kindergarten.  And one of the things I liked best was that one-on-one time with him.  On our drive out he kept calling it "our special date." :)  That individual time is something I've struggled to make happen since I had our second child last summer, so I'm really excited for that aspect of this opportunity, too.  Like you said this morning, it will help me turn my good intentions into a scheduled, regular time of one-on-one involvement with my child.  I'm so happy I found this program and you as a teacher!  I think it's going to be a great fit.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the unique aspect of parental involvement in Let's Play Music.  It can be a challenge to come to a lesson with your child every other week.  Some may ask why it is necessary?  There are several reasons for that kind of involvement...but my favorite reason is the regularly scheduled opportunity it gives a parent to spend individual time with their child.

So often the time I spend with my own children is done while I multi-task.  We are trying to get homework done, fix dinner, get someone to their ______ (fill in the class, practice, lesson) on time, find the missing library book, do another load of laundry...the list is never ending!  Despite my efforts to not over schedule our family, it still seems crazy enough that quality/quantity one-on-one time falls to the bottom of my to-do list.  It's something I'm continually striving to be better at.

Kids need us!  They need parents and caregivers who will step into their world, get down to their level and just be with them, enjoy them and appreciate them for the wonderful and amazing people they are!

I see the families in my studio sacrifice to make that happen every time they attend class with their child.  They make arrangements for siblings, they put their phones away, they leave their to-do lists at the door and just come to class and enjoy their child!  It's a beautiful thing!

I applaud them for giving their child not only a great music education, but a gift of themselves for 45 minutes every other week!  You are amazing!