Different kid, different rules

Proof that there are different rules for different kids? Korri started piano lessons yesterday!! (A mere seven months after Finn started!). And I'll tell you why.

Growing up, my piano teacher (who was amazing!) always started student lessons in 2nd grade. So I had that in my head as a benchmark for when Finn would start. I talked to my music-teacher-friend Andrea and she said she tended to agree unless the lessons were shorter because they don't really have the attention span before that. AND piano lessons are EXPENSIVE!!! I looked through Community Ed and they were $18 per lesson...like over $70 per month! Ouch! And that's for ONE student! Double ouch for two.

The choir director at our church offers piano lessons (for CHEAP!!) and she just happened to have a spot open for Finn at the start of this school year (God always provides!!). Perfect. Well, once Finn started, Korri really REALLY wanted to do it too. I kept brushing her off, saying she could in two years. But she was super interested and would sit at the piano and plunk away, not knowing what to do or how to play. The idea of starting her early stayed in the back of my mind.

Learning the parts of the piano.

I talked to Finn's teacher during the winter session and she said she would consider taking Korri early if she had the interest and ability to pay attention long enough but she didn't have any openings. Okay, it just wasn't the right time. Normally, she ends lessons in April for the year but decided to do a short spring session for a few of her students. So I reached out again and asked if she had an opening and if she thought now would be a good time for Korri to give it a try. And she did and she did!

Playing her first notes!

So, Korri had her first lesson last night. Just like Finn's first lesson, I went along. We had Finn go first so Korri could see what a lesson looked like. She was VERY interested in what he was doing. And when it was her turn, she sat down like she owned the place. She was a super good listener and I could tell she LOVED it. The second we got home, she asked if she could play her new song from her lesson book! Um, yes!

If video doesn't load, try this link: https://goo.gl/photos/zVzh2uRwXQq64jeZ6

And this morning she asked if she could play it more than once before her next lesson (bad habits from her older brother of not practicing?!?!). I chuckled and told her she could practice her song every day! Her huge smile told me how excited she was to get to play and that this was the right decision for her.

So, yes. There are rules and guidelines that should be followed for lots of reasons. But there are also times when you need to look at the circumstances and at your individual child's needs and make the decision to break or change a rule for them. Now I just need to trust them to sit quietly while the other is having their lesson!