Most parents are not lucky enough to have a child who enjoys practicing their music.  While many children enjoy the lessons themselves, most children tend to dread practice for some reason.  I am going to help you with some simple tips to help your child enjoy practice more, and make it less painful and easier for everyone in the house. 

Tip #1.  Realize that the adversion to practice tends to start fading once the basics are mastered, and your child can actually play real music instead of only notes or chords. 

Tip #2.  Children who force themselves to practice tend to be more passionate about music than those who come up with constant excuses not to practice.  Try to do your best to break practice into small time blocks so they do not become easily bored. 

Tip #3.  During the early stages try to be in the same room with your child so you can offer constant encouragement and praise to help keep them motivated. 

Tip #4.  Schedule practice time just like anything else, as all other activities and events are scheduled, make sure practice earns its place on the family calendar. 

Tip #5.  Try to make practices as free from distractions as possible.  This will keep your child on task, and help practice go by faster. 

Tip #6.  Help encourage practice by creating a quiet, well-lit setting.  Hopefully this will facilitate the concentration your child needs.  Preferably away from television, as well as siblings and other distractions. 

Tip #7.  Determine if your child likes to practice alone, or with others around to listen.  Each child has different preferences, and their preference should lead the design of their practice area. 

Tip #8.  If your child relies on you for motivation, play an active role in structuring practice sessions and rewarding effort. 

Tip #9.  If your child is self-motivated, provide encouragement by praising her progress. 

Tip #10.  Make practice a game as much as possible, refer to it as playing, instead of practice.  Playing sounds like much more fun than practice. 

Tip #11.  Do not hover over your child or give her constructive criticism, let your child’s teacher correct problems.  Also, do not make judgments about the musical quality of your child’s practicing.  Listen and show enthusiasm for her efforts and achievements.  Learning an instrument requires a lot of squeaks, scratches, and incorrect notes. 

Tip #12.  Explain to your child that learning often happens in stages.  Your child may be working on their music for what seems like a long time with no apparent improvement, and then will suddenly make a breakthrough.  Reassure your child that sticking with it and practicing during these learning lulls will pay off. 

Tip #13.  Find a regularly scheduled time for practice during your child’s preferred time of day.  Pick a practice time that also coincides with your child’s peak hours.  Some children are at their best right after school, while some do best in the evening when they are relaxed and not tired. 

Tip #14.  Throw an informal jam session where children can get together for treats and games that involves playing the instruments they are studying. 

Tip #15.  Both you and your child need to be patient with her playing.  Everybody makes mistakes, and many of us make the same ones over and over.  Remember that those mistakes are a large part of your child’s growth experience. 

As you can see, there are some ways you can help make practice much more fun and encourage success instead of failure.  Your child will experience many failures, just try to gloss over them as much as possible and encourage them to keep practicing and they will improve.