5 Great Things I’ve Seen Successful Suzuki Families Do

1. Keep practicing and listening on a schedule!​ There are so many benefits to keeping a regular practice time. When your children know what to expect, they often will go along with it more readily. It’s easier to fit everything into your day when you budget the your time in advance. Every family and every child will have off days, but starting with a good plan helps minimize the issues.
2. Work with your child’s attention span and developmental level.​ For some students, small bursts of focused practice will be more useful and pleasant for everyone than a longer block of time. Other children need a long, spread out session to help them stay calm. Children’s focus and abilities will grow with time. Find how your child learns best and work within it.
3. Be on your child’s team.​ If your child has the feeling that you’re both working together to learn this instrument, they’ll be more driven to excel! They want your support, and to make you proud, so be sure to express these things to them. If practice is becoming a struggle, try to take a step back and see what’s causing the tension - it’s often nothing to do with the instrument or music.
4. Aim for perfection, but accept that it’s not always attainable.​ As children grow, there will be times when their moods are less regulated, or their minds are more easily distracted. Remember to take a long term view of your child’s progress, instead of getting caught up in small details.
5. Make lessons work for your family situation!​ Any advice that leads to an unsustainable routine will never pay off long term! Keep yourself and your children from burning out. Don’t be afraid to get teacher advice and to be pragmatic about goals.

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- Shannon Jansma, published in the February 2018 issue of the Ann Arbor Suzuki Institute newsletter