I put Katya and I in a guitar class because I wanted to have something fun that we did together that didn't involve homework. I've been trying really hard to actually enjoy Katya instead of always thinking about what homework or chores she should be doing. Parenting is supposed to be somewhat fun and I realized one day that I was not having fun at all! I've been reading parenting books on how to connect with your child and figure out what is behind their bad behavior and I thought that Katya and I really needed a fun activity that we could both enjoy and since Katya told me she wanted to take guitar and I wanted to learn the guitar it was going to be perfect.
Katya lasted three lessons. Normally I wouldn't have let her quit except for the fact that she wasn't having fun and I wasn't having fun. The last class we went to together went something like this: I had to go and find Katya who was out riding her bike and was supposed to be home by five thirty but of course wasn't. By the time I found her, it was about 10 minutes to 6 and after driving to the lesson we were about 15 minutes late. The lesson is only an hour long, meaning that we only had 45 minutes left anyway, but as we were walking in Katya asked what time the class ended. Then during the class she didn't pay attention, thought it was funny to play the strings on my guitar instead of her's, raised her hand during class to ask the teacher if she could go to the bathroom and then raised her hand again to ask what time the class ended at. She was counting down the minutes to 7 and at that point I was pretty mad. I gave her a lecture on the way home about how rude it was for her to act that way, that the teacher was there to teach us and that she didn't have the right to disrupt everybody else's learning experience.
I decided by the next week that I was not going to make her go anymore because I actually did want to learn the guitar and didn't really want to be miserable doing it! So, I took my 15 year old nephew, who had a very nice electric guitar that I later learned he had purchased to learn to play one extremely hard song (I don't remember which song). He only lasted for one lesson! At least Katya lasted longer then him, I guess. Kids - they think they should be able to pick up an instrument and magically be able to play it without any effort! Oh well - I will finish the last 4 lessons by myself actually being able to pay attention without any distractions. Awesome!
I really should have done the art class because I know that Katya would have stuck with that. I really suck at art though...
Ha, ha! This post made me laugh. Alex is taking piano lessons and asks every week if he can quite. Yes, when you can play five hymns. He's not to happy about that BUT if I had to take lesson's WITH him?
ReplyDeleteLoved both your posts. Can't wait to see pictures of you kids at the wedding.
I need to focus on fun too-I am the least fun person in the house. I want to be fun but I'm just so tired and overwhelmed. I need to be more like Amy and focus on the "magical moments".
See you Wednesday!
I never think to read your blog because it doesn't show up in the usual place on Save a Child. So sorry. I will do better. I think you have great insight into parenting. My Alex loves soccer, or so he says, but dreads going to practice and even the games sometimes. I just can't figure it out. I think it's because he's not as good as he thought he was in Ukraine, and he's realizing it. Maybe Katya thought she'd just be able to play guitar without any work. The idea of having fun together is great.
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