Most parents hope to influence their children in positive ways. One of the best ways to do that is to commit to an activity you both support. At MnSOM, we don’t require parents to sign a one-year contract to continue lessons like some youth activities do. While we only ask our parents to sign month-to-month agreements, I still challenge them with this observation: The students who do best in our program tend to have parents who truly commit to their children’s music education. What do I mean by “commit”? Here are three ways a parent can show commitment. GO ALL-IN. Few parents would sign their child up for a season of tennis, then tell them they can go to two practices and decide whether they want to continue. That sends a clear message that the parent lacks commitment to learning tennis. Parents who show support for a more sustained effort tend to see better results. The same strategy makes sense in planning your child’s music education. All too often, I hear adults remark on the consequences of a half-hearted commitment to learning music, when they say, “I took piano lessons and quit, and it was the biggest mistake of my life.” BE PRESENT. Many children’s activities bar parents from lessons and practices, confining them to dropping their children off and hoping all goes well. MnSOM is different. We are a parent-inclusive school. We believe parents know their kids better than we do, and we partner with parents to give their children the best possible opportunities. We invite parents to sit in on their children’s lessons, message their child’s teachers through the parent portal, or stop in at the end of a lesson to talk. All of these openings give parents opportunities to show commitment. EXPECT A SLUMP. A time will come in every child’s music training when they don’t want to practice. This doesn’t mean your child has lost their passion for music. It just reflects the fact that learning anything that requires skill and practice is hard. This challenge, however, also presents an opportunity to build character in their child. It’s okay if your child doesn’t want to practice — give them space. But also, see this as a chance to teach them that feeling discouraged from time to time is a normal part of learning. You may have more than one difficult conversation, but be patient. Remind them: What was it about learning to sing or play an instrument that made you so excited? Let’s rekindle that fire again! The Power of a Parent’s Presence Fuels Learning PARENTS INVITED!
Jane M. Brianne E. Eli T.
Juan G. Reese T. Liv M. Dean L. Evana V. Samuel V. Rose V. Joanne V. Avi P. Cooper E.
Penelope Q. Jax H. Jordy H. Charlotte D. David S. Grace P. Evelyn M. Delsie C. Vera K.
Elliot K. Maya K. Oliver B. Leo T.
Anders S. MacKinley S. Marcelo D.
IS YOUR TEACHER SOLD OUT?
Mr. Barrett: SOLD OUT Mrs. Bunish: SOLD OUT Ms. Driemeyer: SOLD OUT
Mrs. Lehner: SOLD OUT Mr. Martin: SOLD OUT Mrs. Morris: SOLD OUT Mr. Nehring: SOLD OUT Mr. Nelson: SOLD OUT Mrs. Nemirova: SOLD OUT
Mr. Nistler: SOLD OUT Ms. Possert: SOLD OUT Ms. Rotvold: SOLD OUT Mr. Spears: SOLD OUT Mr. Tubbs: SOLD OUT
Ms. Ferbuyt: 1 SPOT LEFT Ms. Hsu: SOLD OUT Ms. Jahnke: 1 SPOT LEFT
–Eric Nehring
763-432-9713 • 3
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