AMKuska
Garden Master
Mr. Helpful is 4 years old, and at the beginning of his 4th year too. Since he was aprox. 3 1/2, he has been begging me for a violin. Consistently. Nearly daily. When we pass a homeless person playing a violin, he stops, crawls right up next to whoever it is, and begs for a lesson. (Most of these people are so sweet, and so obliging, and do in fact give him a lesson. Yes, I tip them handsomely for their patience.)
Well 2 weeks a go he discovered that if you get this thing called "money" you can buy what ever you want for it, and if he is willing to clean chicken coops, water gardens, sweep the floor, etc. I will give him some "money" to buy things.
Well after perusing toy catalogs carefully, he confessed tearfully to me that he wanted all these things...but what he really wanted was a violin.
So I started searching for a violin, and he started earning coins. I almost feel a little guilty. He works just as hard for a penny as a quarter, and not only are ALL of my housework chores done, some projects I've been putting off for years because I didn't have time with a child are done too. I kinda wish I'd explained money a bit sooner.
Anyway, he finally got his violin, and I had to call ahead to explain to the woman that she was going to get a fist full of change from my son, and to just accept it. And she was SO sweet and handled my son like a champ. He finally has his violin. And he got his first lesson on friday. And since then he practices at LEAST 20 minutes a day, usually about an hour.
I'm shocked because he took in everything the lady said to him about the violin, and everything the instructor said too, and he practices it with a zeal that I wish he would show for learning his alphabet. He can already name the strings, pluck the correct note, play all of the notes he has been shown, play long and short sounds, and hold the violin correctly.
And he doesn't get tired of playing it.
Just had to share what my little guy has been up to, and some pictures. You can truly see the passion in his face when he is playing. (Although this may be my mommy glasses coloring it, and trying to justify the price tag.)
Here is his story in pictures, including some of what he did to earn his violin.
Filling chicken waterers at Too-Early-O-Clock in the morning
Painting my sign post.
After washing my car, vacuuming and shampooing the carpets, windexing the windows, and wiping down all the surfaces on the inside. I hope none of you think I'm a cruel task master. Had to find stuff for him to do until it was time to go get the violin, and he asked me NON STOP for something to do. What else was I supposed to do, but sit in a hammock with an iced tea while he ran around finding stuff to do? I love four. I never want him to be anything but four ever again.
Seeing his violin for the first time ever.
Turns out, that one was too big, according to his instructor. So daddy took him to a music store, fitted him for a smaller rental until he can grow into the one he owns, along with a tuner, some music books, and way more stuff than a 4 year old should rightfully have. Wish I'd gotten pictures of his little face. <3
Here he is practicing after his first lesson:
I'm very impressed with him. I half expected him to just bash the bow and the violin together and break it into a million pieces, but he has been very careful and thoughtful, and has actually taken the lessons given to him to heart. Not bad for 4.
Sorry to bother you all with this super long post, but I just can't get my head around him and his new found passion. I'm not even sure what started it because none of us play an instrument, or know much about music.
Well 2 weeks a go he discovered that if you get this thing called "money" you can buy what ever you want for it, and if he is willing to clean chicken coops, water gardens, sweep the floor, etc. I will give him some "money" to buy things.
Well after perusing toy catalogs carefully, he confessed tearfully to me that he wanted all these things...but what he really wanted was a violin.
So I started searching for a violin, and he started earning coins. I almost feel a little guilty. He works just as hard for a penny as a quarter, and not only are ALL of my housework chores done, some projects I've been putting off for years because I didn't have time with a child are done too. I kinda wish I'd explained money a bit sooner.
Anyway, he finally got his violin, and I had to call ahead to explain to the woman that she was going to get a fist full of change from my son, and to just accept it. And she was SO sweet and handled my son like a champ. He finally has his violin. And he got his first lesson on friday. And since then he practices at LEAST 20 minutes a day, usually about an hour.
I'm shocked because he took in everything the lady said to him about the violin, and everything the instructor said too, and he practices it with a zeal that I wish he would show for learning his alphabet. He can already name the strings, pluck the correct note, play all of the notes he has been shown, play long and short sounds, and hold the violin correctly.
And he doesn't get tired of playing it.
Just had to share what my little guy has been up to, and some pictures. You can truly see the passion in his face when he is playing. (Although this may be my mommy glasses coloring it, and trying to justify the price tag.)
Here is his story in pictures, including some of what he did to earn his violin.
Filling chicken waterers at Too-Early-O-Clock in the morning
Painting my sign post.
After washing my car, vacuuming and shampooing the carpets, windexing the windows, and wiping down all the surfaces on the inside. I hope none of you think I'm a cruel task master. Had to find stuff for him to do until it was time to go get the violin, and he asked me NON STOP for something to do. What else was I supposed to do, but sit in a hammock with an iced tea while he ran around finding stuff to do?
I love four. I never want him to be anything but four ever again.
Seeing his violin for the first time ever.
Turns out, that one was too big, according to his instructor. So daddy took him to a music store, fitted him for a smaller rental until he can grow into the one he owns, along with a tuner, some music books, and way more stuff than a 4 year old should rightfully have. Wish I'd gotten pictures of his little face. <3
Here he is practicing after his first lesson:
I'm very impressed with him. I half expected him to just bash the bow and the violin together and break it into a million pieces, but he has been very careful and thoughtful, and has actually taken the lessons given to him to heart. Not bad for 4.
Sorry to bother you all with this super long post, but I just can't get my head around him and his new found passion. I'm not even sure what started it because none of us play an instrument, or know much about music.
Kids are so willing to help at that age, if we are just willing to let them. (Love the little paint-drizzled strawberry plants. 
