Can you find a way to make practice fun? We played all sorts of games during practice times from using an abacus to keep track of repetitions, to coins in a cup for times played correctly, or flash cards with techniques to work on (dd would pick a flash card then play and I had to guess which technique she was focusing on), or anything else that makes sense or is fun for your dd. Your chance to be creative. Edmund Sprunger has a book out called Helping Parents Practice: Tips for Making It Easier...it's filled with ideas. (I am on my iPad otherwise I'd link it.)

When my dd was very little and first starting to play violin, her practice times always consisted of her time with me, practicing her actual lesson materials (it was the Suzuki approach so a lot of parental involvement) and her own time, where she could make up her own little tunes or play material she'd heard from CDs without me involved at all. We did a practice chart of what she needed to accomplish for her lesson material practices to make sure she covered everything (review pieces, technique, trouble spots, whole piece, etc…) and when the chart was completed, her "treat" was getting to do her own thing. I figured any time she spent playing her instrument would help her learn the instrument and the time she spent doing her own thing probably helped her love it more than if I had interfered every time she picked it up. I addressed composing by buying a small mini recorder so she could record her compositions or any cool variations she comes up with on tunes (now she records herself on the computer or her iPad). When she got older, she could take her recordings and write her compositions on sheet music if she wanted but mostly she keeps them in her head. She recently included two of her own tunes on her CD. She also did a lot of listening to music (again, a Suzuki thing) so anytime we were in the car or quietly while doing schoolwork some kind of music was playing…often the pieces she was working on but other music as well. It sounds like your dd is motivated to compose on her own. I would recommend just not getting in her way. ;)

My dd is in the planning stages of a project (talking to mentors about her idea for a non-profit) that will take a lot of time and be a huge undertaking. There are many other ways she could spend that time but none nearly as worthwhile. As with your dd, there are so many skills she can/will learn and even if it ends up being too much and she gives it up eventually, she will still have that knowledge and those skills. I don't want to be the reason why she doesn't attempt it and am willing to work her schooling around it and help her prioritize and organize her time as needed. She has so many ideas and so much enthusiasm. At the very least, she will learn something and benefit a few people. How sad would it be for them to look back on this time in their lives and wish they had tried?

My first response when I read the question was "definitely no." I love my husband and can't imagine being this close to anyone else…he's the only one I have ever been this close to. I also think it would be hard to find someone at this age…everyone has baggage. I know my husband's baggage. I've known him since middle school and have been with him since high school. I don't know that I want to deal with someone else's baggage. I would be happy being on my own...but who knows what might happen in my life or who might come into it so I went with "depends."

I hear you completely! I find I am always protecting her "time to be a kid" when I am scheduling by building fun into our travels (things to see and do), finding time for her to be with friends (luckily one of her current best friends is also part of her new trio with her brother and the three of them enjoy each other), sitting somewhere for a treat and talk, making sure she has down time, etc...

I have a rather complicated system with checks and double checks for me…but it works. - I keep a wipe off calendar on the refridgerator with main commitments for the month so I can look at it in the morning or at night before I go to sleep and so my husband can figure out where we are at any given time. - My work schedule (2-3 days a week) I keep in a planner because I need to write mileage and keep notes on it. - Gigs, lessons, and other commitments go on my calendar on my iPhone that I can sinc with my iPad so I have the information handy when not at home near my calendar…I also keep a calendar on my computer (which I should sinc with my phone but haven't done yet). - I also keep small notes all over my computer screen and a file in my email to keep details of gigs, hotel reservations, and notes on errands I need to run. - My boys are responsible for keeping their own schedules straight but have only one car between them so I get involved, loaning out my car, if the juggling gets too crazy. - We keep a plain wipe off board on the fridge for shopping lists so whoever uses something up can put it right on the list. I have no idea how I keep everything straight. As I was typing this, I was thinking "there must be an easier way." Dd released her debut CD a couple months ago and I have taken on a second job as her "momanger" helping her...sift through information (non-updated websites listing radio stations) on where to send it, mailing things out, writing press releases, and organizing/contacting venues for release concerts. She is having so much fun and doing a lot of the work but she needs help especially when information is difficult to find and organizing times and dates for events. She recently came up with a new project idea and is talking it over with a couple people who can help mentor her. It will be exciting if it all works out.

Here are a couple books you might look into... http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Talent-Creating-Successful-Career/dp/0195382595 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982307500/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687782&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0195382595&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1P1PCWFND6PPSBKF1XZW

My name is simple. Right? I have never had it spelled correctly by a Starbucks worker. I have gotten…Dana, Hanna, Dama, Nonna, etc.. (I do speak clearly when giving them my name.)

My dd hated using the models when she was that age. She wanted to know why they "wanted [her] to do all that work when the answer was (insert correct answer figured out in her head)."

Only read a few posts so forgive me if someone already said this. With my dd, I took the magnets and formed them into a word like CAT. Then she'd switch a letter and we'd say the new word. Then we'd switch another letter....etc... She loved playing those games while I cooked or in the bathtub with bathtub letters. I did not do any formal reading instruction with dd. She knew letter sounds from Leapfrog DVDs. She memorized books so I'm not exactly sure when she was really reading but knew for sure the day she told me it was her turn to read and she read a page of Little House in the Big Woods that she had not heard before. I did use 100EZ lessons with my oldest at 3 because he asked to learn and enthusiastically every day for his lesson.

There are small towns in our area where it seems the main purpose of the police is to generate revenue through citations. Very little happens in these towns that would require maintaining a police force and the state police barracks are close and the patrol enough that the state police could easily respond for any given emergency. I do not know the model for the towns and do not think anyone would ever come out and say this was their purpose for a police force. My ds was not ticketed in any of the instances. The police were either profiling him based on his youth or the car he was driving and coming up with some reason to say they pulled him over…none of the supposed reasons was even a reason for pulling someone over.

In two of the four instances, the officer was not initially polite. In one instance, the turning what the officer thought was too close it the curb, he described the officer as "a jerk" and nasty and said he was scared. This was only about three weeks after he got his license in the dark and rain at a busy intersection with potholes he was trying to miss but the officer interpreted his actions in the turn as possible drunk driving...is what he later told ds. Ds kept doing what he was told and it worked out in the end.

My favorite vacation was a five week trip from our home in NJ down through NC, across through TX, then up through CO into WY and back home through SD. It was with my family about eight years ago. We camped mostly in a conversion van with the boys in a tent. I think we spent one night in a hotel because ds2 had a stomach bug. We visited national parks, took in Wild West shows, went white water rafting, and fishing. My favorites were a horseback riding trip in Yellowstone out to a cowboy chuck wagon dinner complete with cowboy musicians and a day at the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead in SD. We did it as inexpensively as possible but taking that long off work is difficult to do again. Our most memorable moments include the rafting trip and some of our adventures stopping to stay in scary places because there was nothing else or sights we happened upon by accident. It was an adventure. Since that year we have traveled to Ireland every year for a music festival and competition. We've seen almost the whole country by taking side trips and driving each year and had so many fun and memorable moments.

I have not read the entire thread, just the last page... My husband is a retired officer and this is exactly the discussion he has had many times with our sons who are now driving. We have told our boys, because they are boys and drive a crappy old car, they will be targeted especially in the small towns around us where the only job for the police is to hide in corners and give out tickets. My oldest son drives an old beater car and in his first year with a license was pulled over 4 times in the same small town....once for his license plate color being worn (the car is 20 years old), once for the break light on the back window being out (according to law it is not necessary), once because the cop said he thought his passenger was not wearing a seatbelt, and once in the rain for supposedly taking a right turn close to a curb. He was not issued a warning or ticket in any of the stops...probably because none of the stops was due to a ticket-able offense but ds was polite and behaved as he had been taught to behave. (He is white. Btw)

I would guess for some people, interest in the subject also plays a role. I was very good in math in school, taught the majority of my calculus class calculus during study hall in high school, but had no interest in pursuing it past what was required for my biology major. It had nothing to do with reaching my limit of understanding or ceiling. Maybe my interest could have been enhanced by a dynamic teacher or a mentor who had the ability to bring it alive rather than one who lacked the ability to teach well leaving me to figure it out on my own then show the rest of my class how to do it so it made sense to them.

It would bother me but unless there were very personal information I probably would not say anything. I would be careful what information I sent the offenders in the future.

Congratulations!

I do my own thing from a variety of resources. I wish one pre-packaged thing fit for either of mine because my life would be easier but it doesn't.

If the teacher is not willing to make the slight adjustments needed to improve her relationship with your dd when you have explicitly explained the issue then I am with the other posters who recommend moving on. The teacher should not be visibly frustrated with your dd during a lesson when you've already let her know about your dd's anxiety. That is only going to make your dd more anxious. Not piano but my dd has two different teachers for violin (a classical and a fiddle) and dd has been with both for a very long time. I have had discussions with each teacher at different times when something wasn't going right. During the discussions I will let them know the issue as I saw it in a very neutral way and also suggest possible ways to address the situation because I know my dd best and hear things from her she'd never tell the teacher. They've always been willing to give my suggestions a try but if they weren't I would see it was time to move on. My dd has told me she is more nervous to play for her classical teacher. I think it is the intense focus they put on every note and phrase of a piece meaning she has so much more to think about while playing.

Have you discussed the issue with the teacher?

My ds started guitar at 6yo. You can find a smaller size guitar for him to play. Taylor makes a lovely mini Taylor though a bit pricey to start with if you don't know if he will stick with it but other companies make fractional size guitars. There are Suzuki guitar programs that start children even younger than six. My ds didn't want to learn another instrument and switch. He wanted to learn guitar and he did. Now, at 17, he also plays banjo, mandolin, and Irish bouzouki and is mainly self taught on all those. He performs all the time with his sister and loves it.

I loved the season finale…just sad we don't get to watch more until, what?, October? Thank goodness they didn't kill off Glenn. My entire family yelled at the TV, "Not Glenn!" I felt the same way when Daryl offered to be bait. Rick's speech was great. Glad Morgan is back and loved the way he fought off the wolves but sorry they did not get eaten in the car. Wish someone had killed off Father Gabriel…I really don't like his character. I don't get the whole wolves thing either…what's the point with taking live people and feeding them to the zombies or making them zombies? Aren't there enough zombies out there without doing that? I love Carol.

My husband and I both cook. On the days he is at home while I work, he cooks. He also cooks on days when I am running kids and am not home in time to get dinner ready. When I am home, I cook.

I have learned quite a bit about this as well in an indirect way. ;)

I know there must be others in the same boat as I am…learning more than I ever wanted to know about something in order to assist my dd in finding resources, peers, mentors, and challenge. I am learning more than I ever wanted to learn about music and the music business. What's your subject/topic?