noelle303 Posted April 8, 2016 Posted April 8, 2016 Hello everyone. I'm a single parent of a 5 year old girl who is currently in her last year of preschool and will be starting kindergarten in the fall. She has been taking ballet classes for the past two years which she LOVES, three times a week. Her preschool also offers additional French lessons which I signed her up for because I think bilingualism is very important and the earlier they start the better. Now, we are managing just fine with those two activities but I have recently thought about signing her up for piano lessons. My parents have a beautiful piano at their house so when we go to visit them she always spends time playing it with her grandpa and she loves it. My parents have suggested that she starts with the lessons since she seems very eager to play and gets excited whenever we suggest it to her. But, some people have told me that it is too much for a 5 year old and she is going to get burnt out. How many activities do your children participate in? Do you have any opinions on this?
Tayla Posted April 8, 2016 Posted April 8, 2016 Kudos on managing the activities she is current involved in.! I found that with each child, they will lean towards their passions in more subtle ways. Since she is unable to make an informed decision, it becomes the parents drive to open paths to opportunities. I would wait on formal training for music, unless she has that gift (??) Schools in my area tend to suggest that the students be 9 years or above simply because of the technical training much less being able to hold the instrument or absorb the instructors directives. I encourage musical lessons when the student is disciplined in instruction and practicing... 1
Bittersweetie Posted April 8, 2016 Posted April 8, 2016 I've heard a lot about how the transition to kindergarten can be overwhelming for some kids, even ones who have been in preschool and daycare. It made me think that when my son starts K, I may wait to sign him up for anything extra until it's been a few months in...to see how he's doing and determine if he'd be fine with it. Maybe it would be worth it to wait until late Fall or Winter, then you can see how she's doing with K and her current activities before adding another? 1
Author noelle303 Posted April 8, 2016 Author Posted April 8, 2016 Kudos on managing the activities she is current involved in.! I found that with each child, they will lean towards their passions in more subtle ways. Since she is unable to make an informed decision, it becomes the parents drive to open paths to opportunities. I would wait on formal training for music, unless she has that gift (??) Schools in my area tend to suggest that the students be 9 years or above simply because of the technical training much less being able to hold the instrument or absorb the instructors directives. I encourage musical lessons when the student is disciplined in instruction and practicing... Well, she is not crazy talented. I mean, she is good at it and I think she could really thrive, but I guess I could wait until she starts kindergarten, there's no rush. I'm not too worried about the transition to kindergarten, she has been in preschool for the last two years and before that she was in daycare, she's a really sociable and well-adjusted kid so I can't see why this would overwhelm her. I just remember that I had a ton of extra-curricular activities as a child, I'm surprised people think that kids get 'burnt out' when I had enjoyed the various outlets and learning environments they provided.
Tayla Posted April 9, 2016 Posted April 9, 2016 What a parent may have excelled at in their childhood does not equate to the child's skills. Try to encourage them to be autonomous. They are unique and deserve to have varying options without thinking they need to walk the path you were graced with. my gf growing up had parents that encouraged much of what they wanted her to achieve. she rebelled in her teens... And fortunate for all they realized she wasn't going to be their little star . Instead she became talented in her own way. She was grateful for much of what was offered her... She had to find her voice though ... I'm sure your intentions are well meant. strive to balance objectively her skills with what is manageable for a child who is already adapting to social skills.
Author noelle303 Posted April 9, 2016 Author Posted April 9, 2016 What a parent may have excelled at in their childhood does not equate to the child's skills. Try to encourage them to be autonomous. They are unique and deserve to have varying options without thinking they need to walk the path you were graced with. my gf growing up had parents that encouraged much of what they wanted her to achieve. she rebelled in her teens... And fortunate for all they realized she wasn't going to be their little star . Instead she became talented in her own way. She was grateful for much of what was offered her... She had to find her voice though ... I'm sure your intentions are well meant. strive to balance objectively her skills with what is manageable for a child who is already adapting to social skills. Oh, I agree. I'm not pushing her to do the things I used to do, only the things I see that she enjoys and wants to do. She is very talented at ballet, but I have no expectations other than her having fun and spending time with her peers. None of these things she does need to make her "a little star".
Mr. Lucky Posted April 11, 2016 Posted April 11, 2016 Oh, I agree. I'm not pushing her to do the things I used to do, only the things I see that she enjoys and wants to do. She is very talented at ballet, but I have no expectations other than her having fun and spending time with her peers. None of these things she does need to make her "a little star". Since you seem in tune with her feelings, I'm going to mildly disagree with what's been said and suggest you let her feedback and actions tell you what she wants. If she tries piano and continues to be enthusiastic, I don't see the harm. Obviously, were you dragging her to unwanted activities, it would be different... Mr. Lucky 3
amaysngrace Posted April 11, 2016 Posted April 11, 2016 I agree with Mr. Lucky. Since she already has an interest in playing piano and is handling her other activities well I would sign her up for some lessons and see how she does. Summer is right around the corner so she'll have more free time. Does she already know how to swim? 1
momtjc Posted April 12, 2016 Posted April 12, 2016 Hi, I think you bring up some great questions. I have to agree with others that K can be a big transition for some kids and you may want to see how that goes before signing her up for more activities. I think you have to build some "margin" time into your schedule so you can balance unexpected things, down time and activities. Hats off to you for being so proactive! 1
Author noelle303 Posted April 12, 2016 Author Posted April 12, 2016 I agree with Mr. Lucky. Since she already has an interest in playing piano and is handling her other activities well I would sign her up for some lessons and see how she does. Summer is right around the corner so she'll have more free time. Does she already know how to swim? She does. We live near the coast and my parents have a swimming pool at their house. Thanks everyone for your input. I think I will wait for her to start kindergarten. As you mentioned, summer is coming up and I want us to enjoy it, have fun and relax, not overload ourselves. I also work full time so I want to make the most out of our free time. Once kindergarten stars and I see how our schedule changes and how she is handling it I will look into signing her up for lessons. 1
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