Both my kids take piano, and I require daily practice if I'm going to pay for lessons. But 5 minutes is all I ask for. Once the boys sit down at the keyboard, they inevitably get into it and play for much longer.
It is possible to have him just practice a couple times a week. Daily practice isn't strictly required if the child is just wanting to dabble a bit. Maybe do the bulk of the work on the weekend, when he has more time? Fun should be the first requirement of any extracurricular! Maybe talk to him about how much practice time he is willing to devote?
Letting my kids play for me often--As in "Look what I can do, Mom!"--is something that seems to help their motivation.
Having a keyboard with hundreds and hundreds of crazy sound effects also helps. You haven't lived until you've heard "Ode to Joy" played as guttural grunts or cows mooing!
I agree with you completely about not pushing him into something he doesn't really want to do and trying to prioritize his free time to suit his needs (and wants!). I think that's very smart. But if he's into piano and just doesn't want to spend a lot of time on it, what about arranging for lessons only every-other week? Or trying lessons for a few weeks of weekly lessons and then deciding if it's too much of a commitment?
