To guarantee the success of your child's early years of piano lessons, here are some important goals to consider:

1. Set a regular, daily practice time.

2. Maintain daily practice of at least 10 minutes (for young beginners with short attention spans). Ten minutes a day will help them retain and understand what they are learning. Practice time will increase as your child's pieces become longer and musical concepts become more challenging.

3. Use practice charts if they help your goal-oriented child. Sometimes, for these students, just a star on a practice chart is a great motivator. Some children may need more of a practice incentive, but as their parent, you can have a positive impact on weekly piano lessons. Daily practice needs to happen or your child will not learn the material well enough to pass their weekly assignments. Remember the old adage, "Nothing succeeds like success".

4. Make a "practice friendly"  environment. Find the balance between a basement room and your busiest living area. Your piano should be located close to family but away from major distractions (like the TV, washing machine, range hood etc).

5. Even though you may not be musically literate or be able to play an instrument yourself, your child needs you to give them help when they practice. That is one of the reasons why I encourage my piano parents to attend their child's weekly lesson. Parents need to be aware of what their child is learning so they can supervise their child's daily practice time.

6. It is a financial commitment. Without a daily practice routine, your financial commitment to piano lessons will be a waste of your money.

Behind every successful concert pianist, musician, or piano teacher there is a parent who not only provided financially for weekly lessons, but also maintained a regular practice schedule and a healthy practice environment, and gave plenty of motivation and encouragement. The parental role is so crucial for success in learning any new skill, but much more so in learning to play a musical instrument like the piano. Are you willing to commit to these goals so your child can have a positive experience in their beginning years of piano?