1. Establish a routine of definitive practice times. This allows for your child to become accustomed to the normalcy of practicing an instrument. Wedge 5-10 minutes of practice in between, say, dinner and a shower.

2. Dedicate a space in the house just for instrument practice. Perhaps, a bright carpet swatch where it is their space.

3. Set a time limit. Even if your child wants to play for an hour, set a definitive limit of 5 or 10 minutes.

4. Have your child practice in front of a mirror to ensure correct finger placement and total covering of the holes.

5. Ask your child to sing-n-fing. This is when they sing the letter names of the song and finger the instrument, Then, graduate to blowing gently into the recorder.

6. As much as you can, be actively positive while your child is learning this instrument. It is the beginning of their musical contributions to themselves and our music department.

7. Use stickers or a comparable reward and set a goal. Allow one sticker per practice and discuss with your child how many stickers they want for the week.