I need some advice. My son (11) has been taking piano lessons for six years. It's always been a struggle to get him to practice. However, the last 3 - 4 months have been really bad. I've about had it. I've tried all sorts of things, both to motivate him and to let it go and not get stressed about it. It's not working. It's expensive and I'm putting more work into it at this point than he is.
We agreed on Friday that he would practice at least 12 days out of the 16 days he has off school for break. If he did that, I'd continue lessons. He hasn't touched the piano since.
So, do I pull the plug? I hate to take him out becaue I think it is very good for him and it's a great skill and learning opportunity. Plus, he performs with groups and in individual contests. What I'd like to do is pull him out and then put him back in at a future date. He likes his current teacher but she has a waiting list so wouldn't be able to take him back in, say, three months. I don't know how long her list is.
What would you do? What would you consider before making this decision? What would be the criteria for starting lessons again? I think that if he doesn't meet our agreement, which looks unlikely at this point, I need to follow through by pulling him out.
Advice? Comments? Ideas?
