Question: Is Your Child Ready for Lessons?
Once your tot becomes a preschooler, all sorts of opportunities for private instruction and group lessons seems to abound. Parents may be considering swim lessons, gymnastics, piano, or art, and many day care centers offer enrichment activities for an additional fee that is incorporated into the child's day. But, before you sign up your preschooler for lessons, how do you know if your child is ready?
Answer: Some kids are ready and interested in learning new skills and focused enough to succeed with lessons or instruction between the ages of 3-5. Other kids, however, have not matured to the level where focusing and listening skills will be utilized for successful instruction. Parents should ask themselves these questions before signing their kids up for lessons:
- Has my child expressed an interest in this area? Kids will more likely be successful if they see a value or have a true interest in the activity.
- Will the lessons benefit my child from a safety or health standpoint? Swim lessons can help acclimate a child toward water and create a swimmer at an earlier age. Swimming lessons are often a first type of formal instruction a young child receives. Children can also understand a cause and effect with this type of lesson. For example: "Once you learn to swim and can float as well as jump in the water and swim to the side, then we'll visit grandma's swimming pool" is often a positive incentive for a young preschooler. However, taking piano lessons or karate lessons for "the future" may not provide a child with enough reason to "want" the lessons and a power struggle can result.
- Will my child sit still and follow instructions? If your child is very active, doesn't like to sit still, and has problems with following instruction, then chances are he won't be successful in a focused environment like piano or art. However, that child may do well in an activity-based lesson such as gymnastics or karate.
- Does my child have time to add an activity to his schedule? Day cares who offer instruction like dance lessons or karate often do so at the request of busy parents, who fear that kids will be too tired at the end of the day for lessons. Usually, they're right. By the time youngsters get home, they need an opportunity to unwind as well. Parents can also determine if lessons are available on the weekend as another option. Common sense says that if kids are tired by the time lessons start, they won't focus and certainly won't be on their best behavior.
- How long is each lesson? Some kids can focus for an hour or even more, especially if the topic is of interest to them. Others can't pay attention for more than 15 minutes at a time. Carefully assess whether you think your child is ready mentally and physically for a certain type of lesson before signing him up. Putting a child into formal instruction before he is ready could actually have the unintended effect of a child strongly disliking something.
- Is this a short-term lesson or an ongoing instruction? Swim lessons are often good first lessons because there are so many days that a child participates, and then is done. Other lessons, such as piano, are progressive and ongoing. Cautious parents might first choose to enroll their child in a short-term lesson, or at least one that they can stop at any time without consequence if it is not working out, and then evaluate after that experience. If your child doesn't seem ready, don't worry, and just wait another few months or so and try again!
