From an educator’s point of view, what is the most common mistake that parents with good intentions make because of ignorance? It is allowing your child to give up easily.
Learning is a messy, organic process. Everyone learns at a different pace. One common factor in learning anything however, is that hard work is unavoidable.
Whenever your child begins learning a new subject such as math, science, programming, a new language, or the violin, their enthusiasm level soars. Basic concepts are simple and easy to grasp, everything is fresh and new = this is fun!
Then comes a tough time (trough), where simple things just aren’t so simple anymore. Concepts become more complex and harder to understand = this is not fun anymore.
With work and perseverance, learners eventually master the more advanced material and gain confidence. Advanced concepts become easy, they get to apply the knowledge in new and interesting ways = this is way more fun than it was before!
However, when the going gets tough, many children tend to push back. They cry. They throw tantrums. At this point, and out of misplaced protectiveness, many parents simply give up.
The idea that natural talent is all you need to achieve your goals, and that natural talent means everything will come easy is false, but many parents still hold on to it.
The trough is a natural and inescapable part of human learning. What’s more, it’s not just that one trough, but a series of troughs in any given discipline. We have never met a so-called child prodigy (including Stanislav himself) who did not experience tough times or did not have a lot of hard work and perseverance behind his/her achievements. Not one.
Our job as parents is to guide and shape our children’s development, boost them up during the high points, and support them as they work through the low points. And at the end, they will discover just how incredibly fun it is to play the violin well!
(this article is paraphrased from a longer one by Ryan Chew, school owner and educator).
