I am one of those people who tried violin and piano lessons but didn't take it very seriously. And yes not a day goes by that I don't wish that I had stuck with it longer. So- I am a mother who has a hard time letting my kids quit things. I know that everyone has different gifts, but being able to conquer something that is hard is something that can build self-esteem. Now, along with that I also feel it's important to find something for each child that they feel good at-- to counter-act the frustration of the hard thing they are trying to conquer.
So, when Bree decided to take a sabbatical from violin lessons I had very mixed feelings about it. She has been showing signs of burn out in all areas and we knew she needed something different. So trying to put aside everything we have invested in this particular hobby, we let her make the decision. Ugh. I think she's enjoying the break. She has started taking piano lessons for fun. And she's also started doing quite a bit of babysitting. (She has never been one to just do nothing.) We just hope that we are making the right decision as parents.
It's not that she's given the violin up completely. She still plays with a trio once a week. They call themselves the "Classical Chicks" and recently performed at a music festival at WSU. (It's been so fun for her to play her violin with others her own age.)
She also tried out for the city's Talent Show. She made the finalist list, but the actual talent show is part of the "Concert Series" at the amphitheater and isn't until June.
We abosolutly love being the parents of this girl but, It's so hard to know when to push and when to back-off. Maybe by the time #5 is at this stage we"ll be better at this. (But probably not, they are all so different.)
