AlfieAttachment ParentingLearningStay At Home Dad
Raising Musical Children - Please Send Earplugs
Tuesday 20 May 2014
Last week, I looked down at my beeping phone to see a photo of my son holding a guitar. Not Keith's guitar as I had first assumed, but a different guitar, a new guitar .... his own guitar.
I can't even describe the noise that escaped from my mouth at that moment; because I'd had two very painful thoughts.
Firstly have you heard what a five stringed, un-tuned acoustic
guitar sounds like in the hands of an untrained four year old?
Secondly I suspected (correctly as it turned out) that I
might end up having to throw myself between a swinging guitar and a little
sister in moments of extreme tiredness and frustration.
In some ways I can’t really blame him: There’s nothing more
annoying when you are busy creating interpretive music than having to bat
away your little sister’s persistent hands.
But then as I pointed out to Alfie, using his guitar as a
weapon was only going to hurt him because I don’t care how
good Japanese build quality is, I’ll bet the farm that it’s no match for my
daughter.
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How do other parents get through that difficult musical learning curve? Is there a technique to smiling through the pain as your fillings hit resonant frequency?
The Maybe Diaries was shortlisted for a Brilliance in Blogging 2014 Inspire Award.
Thank you SO MUCH for your support.
Haha! I'm just picturing it all. I guess we'll be facing this sooner than we think. One daughter is 3 next month and the other is 3 months old now. I want them to have music in their lives but when/how for our sanity? :)
ReplyDeleteIt gives me a new found respect for my parents who had to endure three lots of recorder and stringed instrument learning. I once went to my little sister's Christmas concert and I left feeling like I had given myself a facial with a porcupine. Strangely though I don't remember too much pain from listening to them practice so I suspect if we survive introducing our children to music, we'll block it out in old age ;)
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