Guitar courses perform miracles for frazzled parents. That's all there is to it; or how do they say it? That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Kids are almost always excited for summer vacation and everything that comes. As a parent, I just worry about how I will keep them entertained. You see, I work from home and my kids are at the age where they don't need daycare any longer. On the other hand, they still need me to get them through the day. I'm not complaining because I wouldn't want it any other way. There are those occasional moments though when I'd like to get my work done during the day, instead of going at it after the kids are in bed. While they fight against a bedtime I embrace the very thought of it. This particular summer was a bit frustrating so I started to search for something that they could all do together and possibly enjoy. At minimum, they would stop their rough housing for at least an hour in any given day. Guess what? I found the solution and it was an easy one to find. I purchased guitar courses for them to learn.

 

Their response

 

I'm a pretty efficient and organized parent so I had a pretty good idea on how each one of my kids would react to this. My oldest son was a rock and roller in waiting so it would be an easy sell. My middle one was a daughter who loved to ponder and reflect on everything (too much sometimes - she remembers every time I lost my cool since day one). My third one, the youngest, was full of an abundance of energy and adoration for his older siblings and loved to make noise off of anything in front of him. I acim authors and found three different guitar courses they could take at home. Each one fit their personalities to a tee. While many parents have their fair share of plans that they think are great, but fail miserably in their children's eyes - my plan actually worked! They were all excited and ready to go. All the equipment was there in their study room, each one got to pick out their beginner guitar, and I let them have at it. They created their schedule and I made them sign an agreement to stick to it. My littlest one just had to give me a kiss on the cheek since he was too young to sign any agreement yet. Within one week, I had a house that was full of three different songs being practiced at one time throughout the day. I didn't mind because their guitar time gave me work time and we were all happier for it at the end of the day.

 

A family united

 

Here comes the part of my tale where I incorporate a few bragging rights. My kids decided to enter a talent show. They each were going to play guitar and learn a new song. My oldest two each learned a song that reflected their personalities. My son learned "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down and my daughter learned "If It Makes You Happy, by Sheryl Crowe. My little one adores both his older brother and sister if you recall. He made his own little medley of both songs combined. I laughed, I cried, and I saw him have so much fun. His smile was the biggest smile I'd ever seen come from his sweet little face. In the end, they got 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places - how cool is that. My friends teased me that I'd bribed the judges, but that contest was all kid powered. They loved it and enjoyed it so much.

 

If any of you parents are like I used to be - dreading summer and mumbling about it you need to evaluate your options. Put something awesome out there for kids to do. Something they'll love and you'll appreciate. You should try guitar lessons because they definitely saved my summer and made my kids all at the same time.