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10 Steps to Getting Your Child to Carnegie Hall

Posted: April 27, 3:23 pm | (permalink) | (0 comments)

I am a doting mother, and I brag about my kids every chance I get. I didn't think I would be that mother, but low and behold...I am. I think it's better to just admit that you can't resist the opportunity to talk about your children than deny it. So let's all just admit it! Which brings me to the part I am really proud of...drum roll please...our oldest son Christian was chosen to play piano at Carnegie Hall! After an extensive audition process, he will be playing in the American Protege concert at Carnegie along with other children. He's only 10 years old! He is definitely not nearly as excited I am....

The journey to Carnegie inspired me to write about the topic of getting your children to practice _________ (fill in the blank). Whether it be piano, lacrosse, ballet or soccer, successfully getting them to practice can be a dreaded experience for all involved. Disciplines like music take daily practice. Along with school, homework, lacrosse, karate, dinner and sleep, daily practice is a challenge to keep a high priority. Some how, someway, we manage..Here are some of my tips from our family's experience:

1. Choose your long days -

These days should be the ones where there is nothing else going, and you can get them to do a longer practice on those days. On Sunday, and any other days off, I get them to practice twice, once in the morning (long practice), and once later, when Daddy gets home, "Because he's so excited to hear them and really wants to listen to them play."

2. Do the "Lick-a-dee split" on off days

On days when we have games, I make them do half a practice- just their performance pieces and their scales.

3. Pick a "Show Time"

They must practice by 5:30, that way they can play after school and then get it in before we eat dinner.

4. Practice In Ear Shot (Or eye shot for sports)

I have them practice usually while I am preparing dinner, so I am in earshot, and know if they are playing or playing.

5. Teacher Time is Sacrosanct

I do my best to keep my children from playing outside or having friends over before both children are finished their lesson. The playing distracts the student. Also, everything in the house shuts down when the teacher is doing the lesson (or at leas that's the goal!)

6. Pester

I don't let it go...Hopefuly I wont' be paying for it with years of therapy, but I really make their practice a priority, like teeth brushing, it must be done before they go to bed. Or mommy won't stop asking...(I even annoy myself).

7. Showcase

I ask them to play for family and friends on occasion. The clapping is great reinforcement to them. They hear other people say how wonderful it is to hear them play, not just mom and dad.

8. Stay Consistent

No matter what season, what sport, or what's going on, we get the practice in, as well as the lesson...

9. Praise Praise Praise

I always say how it makes my heart melt to hear them play. I let them know that I think they are brilliant...but read on....

10. Be an Honest Critic

I also let them know if it wasn't "their best song", or a "little pitchy", oh sorry, I was getting off track on American Idol...No seriously, I let them know in an instructional way if the song doesn't sound good...I don't think it's healthy for children to be constantly told how wonderful they are if they don't do their best. Then they end up like those auditioners on American Idol, with no concept of how dreadful they are...

So good luck, and remember the story when a tourist asked, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" and the New Yorker said "Practice baby, Practice."

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Rotten Eggs

Ah the wonders of Easter. The beautiful pastel colors, the anticipation that spring might actually be coming- finally! I love Easter. I love the hopefulness of the day, the warm weather, the birds finally coming out, the longer days. To me, Easter is the start of spring- and all things new, clean, bright and sunny. I was very excited for this Easter, and I prepared in a big way. The Easter outfits were purchased weeks in advance for the children. My husband had picked out his matching suit, new shoes were purchased, and I carefully choose three different dresses- all pretty and bright and weather dependent. It took over a week to prepare the house. I cleaned the windows and decluttered every closet- all in the name of Easter! I got out all my best pastel linens and put out the porcelain bunnys (thanks to my mother-in-law). I even watched Martha Steward while I strategized the perfect menu. We died the eggs and prepared the ham and an enormous amount of food with champagne, Bloody Mary's, and George's new concotion- The Yellow Devil. The day finally arrived and we raced around to get everything set out and raced to mass.

Finally, it was time to sit and relax and enjoy the beautiful day and see my children run through the yard with their cousins for the Easter egg hunt (one of my favorite events to watch), with pink ribbons flying through the air and little blue blazers racing through across the lawn. It was time to stop, for a moment. But I didn't...

Whilst I write this I am very aware that I may scare my guests from ever returning. However, I believe my plight is just one of motherhood, and not due to my lovely guests.

The children pulled their ties, and blazers and Italian made shoes off practically before they made it out of the car. My beautiful little girl in her very puffy dress dissappeared and returned with favorite sparkly t-shirts and shorts. I ran around picking up the future dry cleaning and seemed to be constantly collecting shoes. The children happily enjoyed their Easter baskets- all over the house. There were jelly beans smooshed into every carpet, followed by chocolate fingerprints, happily grabbing every door knob, light switch and wall manageable. The weather held and everyone loooovvved George's concoction, "The Yellow Devil". Infused with fruit, vodka, triple sec, wine, orange rum, Grand Marnier, orange juice, it had quite a kick- which you only realized after you drank it like a glass of lemonade. It is truly a devilish drink- great for a party, but the only problem with it, is it's a bit labor intensive. We spent much of the day refilling The Yellow Devil drinks, and making more, and finding ice, and clearing plates, and making more, and greeting guests, and cleaning up chocolate bunnies.

All in all, it was a beautiful day. I hated my shoes afterwards, but I still love Easter. It was a 12 hour extravaganza and my only shortfall was not having a 2nd meal in mind and prepared to go. We made do, of course. Oh yes, one more thing...the eggs- I love dying eggs, but I am afraid, this could be my last Easter doing so...As I am sure many Moms out there have experienced the following: the smell of something....odd...something off...something not quite right...something getting worse...ewwww something really bad....Oh my dear Jesus what the hell is that?!....George we need to do something that smell is so bad!......to finally finding the darn little thing hidden deep behind the television in a cabinet of a guest room (last year)....to deep within the recesses of the boys' bunk-beds (yuck!).

So in the end, isn't it about expectations? I will not sit, not at my own party, not on Easter, not for about...14 years....but hey it could be worse- and I get to drink The Yellow Devil.