This is an incredibly important topic and I love how TeachPianoToday.com has articulated beautifully what parents need to know.
Learning the piano requires WORK, DEDICATION, and COMMITMENT from students and parents. Whether your child is learning piano for FUN or for other reasons, it is important to establish a positive environment for learning and playing at home.
From all my years of teaching, the children who succeed the most and have the most fun are the ones who have engaging and proactive parents involvement at home and in class. This is especially important for younger children under the age of 8 years old because they do not yet understand the idea of practising.
Children understand the idea of playing the piano but they do not yet fully understand this idea of practicing on their own. This idea must be taught by an adult and reinforced positively at home. This does require parents to be creative in their ways to help their children learn and play at home. Unless you have decided that you only want your child to go to lessons to play, then please do not expect your child to progress quickly. Each child is different and with minimal support at home, you can expect minimal progress.
Please consider your child's mood, best time of the day to practice, hunger, external events, and your time to be able to sit next to your child. Below is a great read on what parents need to know about piano practice at home.
Educators and parents, how do you ensure piano practice happens at home? Would love for you to share any insights and experiences.