Learning an instrument is not always easy! Sometimes kids want to give up. Some food for thought for parents that are struggling in deciding to let their child quit piano lesson or not.
DON'T GIVE UP!
*it is completely normal for kids to go through peaks and valleys in terms of their motivation on the piano. One of the wonderful things about learning an instrument is that it requires long-term commitment. It’s not an activity that you do short-term, gain an easily-learned skill and then move on. It requires months and years of “stickwithitness” to get real results.
*Because kids aren’t often exposed to these kinds of activities, it’s an experience that is (unfortunately!) new to them. It’s easy to quit piano because it’s easy to not have to put work into something. At your child's young age it’s almost impossible for him to think long-term about how he may actually want to be able to play the piano later in life. Kids think in the here and now, and it can be difficult to truly decipher exactly what it is that is causing their “valley” in motivation at that particular moment.
*Piano lessons are also one of the only extra curricular activities that require children to take responsibility on their own at home. With sports you can show up and practice or play a game. Piano is different in that it requires a sense of self-discipline, and it can be hard for kids to see the benefits this (of which there are many).
*Have you ever met someone who said “I’m sure glad my mom let me quit piano lessons.” We usually hear the opposite from people
*feelings of self-esteem and confidence come from conquering difficulties and reaching goals. If we let children quit when things get difficult, then they lose those opportunities to prove to themselves that they can do it; that they can work through an obstacle and come out on the other side better than they were before. If we leave the decisions up to them all the time their “kid-ness” takes over and they choose the easy route because that’s what feels good in the moment. We as parents don’t know if they actually chose to stop for reasons that might otherwise be easily remedied (ie. it’s the end of the year and they’re getting a bit burnt out with school and other activities)