MIMI'S STRATEGY When you don't want to practice the piano

By Linda Goudsmit

What can a child do when she wants to learn to play the piano but does not want to practice?

Hildy wants to play the piano but does not want to practice, even though Mama explains that practice is the only way she will improve. Mimi tells Hildy a funny story about giving Zeze his first haircut: Mimi left big bald spots, but Zeze kept letting her practice on him and each haircut got better than the one before. Hildy remembers those bald spots just as she was about to complain about piano practice, and she smiles, sits down, and begins practicing.

Mimi's Strategy: "So, the next time you don't feel like practicing the piano, I want you to STOP and picture in your mind the bald spots on Zeze's head when Mimi first cut his hair."

What children will learn:
- Understand why repeated practice is the only way to improve a skill.
- See mistakes as part of the process of learning something difficult.
- Use a memorable example to overcome resistance to practice.
- Develop perseverance and personal responsibility for improvement.
Perfect for:
- Homeschool and public-school families with children learning to play piano or master another skill.
- Homeschool and public-school educators teaching persistence and practice.
- Parents managing resistance to music practice.
- Grandparents encouraging children to keep working at a developing skill.

Part of the growing Mimi's Strategy series, an expanding collection of illustrated books by Linda Goudsmit that turn everyday childhood problems into opportunities to stop, think, and choose a successful strategy to solve each problem. Designed for ages 3-8, the series gives families and educators a warm, repeatable way to talk about responsibility, independence, competence, self-control, critical thinking, and family life.

"Learning to think strategically rather than react emotionally is a valuable skill that will empower any child throughout his or her life. Plus, I have yet to meet the child who would prefer a reprimand to a kiss." - Linda Goudsmit

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1953255329
• ISBN13: 9781953255327
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Contrapoint Publishing
• Length: 50 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 3 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3