One of the things Craig and I think we did right as parents was to give our kids piano lessons.  Might be our best investment.We decided early on with our four boys that we wanted them to learn how to play the piano and love music.  We loved music and played all kinds of tapes and records when they were growing up, and we wanted them to have that love for music.  We feel like the money we invested in these lessons has more than paid off over the years.  Here are some reasons why:They all love music and all still play the piano. They pursue it in some form or fashion either as hobby or vocation.  Check out Ben here as he is working on his next album.They used it to relieve stress.  The first thing they did when they walked through the doors from school was to sit down on the bench and play.   And play.  And play some more.  They filled our home with beauty.  When they were in their teens, sometimes I had to tell them to stop playing and go study.  Can you imagine that?

A few pointers we learned along the way.

1. Start lessons when they can read.

I think I read somewhere that it is easier to learn the piano when you can read and that helped me because it gave me a good starting point for when to begin lessons  At the Johnson house when You can read, You start piano lessons.  They are also more responsible by that time and ready for the independent work.  Less tears. More fun.

2. Change teachers when needed.

Once we had to make a change as we felt like the boys were not doing well.  Our boys just needed a new perspective in teaching.   Over the years  we had great teachers,  each giving to our boys from their passions and talents.  One teacher taught discipline and rigor.  One was very into performance and had lots of recitals in her home. Our last teacher really saw our boys as individuals, working with their strengths and looking for ways to inspire them.  As I look back, I see that each instructor added links to a chain that formed a beautiful work of art in each one of our boy's heart.  Thank you, Lord for that *SURSEE.

3. Have the teacher come to your house if you can when the kids are little.

This was awesome!  This was a lifesaver when I had a load of kids at home, and it was such an effort to pile them into the car and get anywhere.  Later, we had a teacher who lived close enough that they could ride their bikes to their lesson.

4. Don't let them quit too early.

We made them continue through the chaotic junior high years and pivotal freshman year and then we would negotiate with them.  No one we talked to ever said they were glad they quit piano lessons.  Quite the opposite.  Most folks say they took lessons, didn't like it at the time and wished they would have continued.  So no quitting early.  Stay the course.  I will say that our boys each received enough of the theory and scales and practice that their piano stuck with them, and today, they are all still proficient.

The benefits we saw were many and varied.

Piano was a great arena of competition with all the festivals and theory tests and judgings.  It afforded opportunities for our kids to compete in a non- sports  area.  It taught them how to prepare and be cool under pressure.  How to perform. How to handle nerves.  All good stuff that translated into life skills for all areas.The skill of concentration was also learned, as they had many hours of practice and theory and listening and learning in their piano studies.  Studies are numerous out there about the benefits of Mozart and your brain.  I saw this in our kids' lives.I already mentioned above that for our boys it was an excellent relaxation/stress reliever tool.  I think that it will be a lifelong tool for them, too.I loved how it also taught them a finish- what -you- start- stick-to-it-ness.   A new piece of music is given.  This is too hard, Mommy.  I can't do this.  Fast forward a few weeks or months and that piece is memorized and beautiful.  They had to learn how to stick with something hard and continue to press through.  Good lessons for us all.My favorite benefit might be that they learned to appreciate  beauty and recognize it as they were  exposed to it.  It was in them and around them and surrounding them as they played. Loved that they were exposed to great composers and new music.  What a gift.  It also shaped their thoughts about music and beauty just like reading the great classics does for our reading tastes.  Today they all love music in all forms, and it is great fun to share our music  tastes and finds with one another.  The boys also translated their  musical lessons into other instruments and have pursued the guitar and the ukelele.So wherever you are in this journey of parenting, I would encourage you to consider the investment of piano lessons.  It will pay back far more than the money you put in and the * SURSEE of the end result will be a wonderful gift.*SURSEE- An unexpected surprise that brings joy.