Parenting and Piano Part 2

Author: admin

13 Nov

In yesterday’s post, I was asked what I do with my baby while I teach. I thought I would share my answer in today’s post.

I took a month off after my baby was born, and spent that month getting her on a good sleep schedule. Not everybody likes to schedule their babies, but for me it was imperative. I read On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam for help in this area. (Greatest book if you are serious about getting your baby to sleep through the night!)

Because I had gotten her on a schedule, it was easy to teach when she was little, because she slept right through everything. As she’s gotten older and needs less naps (aarrgghhh), I have come to depend on things with restraining belts. First it was the bouncy seat, then the activity center, and now the high chair. These work wonderfully (now), but I know I will have to adapt to something new very soon since she is now becoming an expert walker!

I still make sure she sleeps through the first hour of lessons. Even if she wakes up early, she stays in her crib and plays. I will then let her crawl/walk around during one lesson, and by the last few lessons, she is restrained. My husband comes home during the last lesson and takes over.

It’s an evolving system, and not nearly perfect enough. Any tips from anybody else?

Filed under: Business, Problems- Help me!

7 Responses for "Parenting and Piano Part 2"

Ginger November 13th, 2008 at 8:33 pm 1
I only teach at night when my husband is home. I’ve set my hours accordingly. I’ve tried having my kids around, but it doesn’t work well. The students are distracted, and so am I.
sfrack November 14th, 2008 at 5:10 am 2
I understand how what you are going through; I taught through raising 2 kids.
How about hiring a babysitter to come in only during that time? Or do a cooperative swap with another mother; you take her kids for a couple hours and then she takes yours?
It really is a brief time in the big picture. By the time your child is 3 you will be able to teach them cooperative needs while you teach.
I too did most of my teaching when my husband came home from work. That’s not a bad solution; he gets one on one with his child while you have a moment to feel professional.
Good luck!
Dan the Music Master November 14th, 2008 at 9:18 am 3
It sounds like you’re doing a pretty good job at multi-tasking. Keep up the good wotrk1
Stephanie November 17th, 2008 at 11:58 pm 4
Great suggestions, thanks for sharing your ideas!
Laura January 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm 5
I discovered this a little late, but here’s what I’ve done with my daughter who is now 6. I resumed my teaching when she was about one. At the time, we lived next door to a retired lady who kept her for me while I was teaching, but we eventually moved. Since then, I’ve managed to work out deals with a couple of my middle school and older students. One of them comes for the first lesson of the day, and then stays for the rest of the afternoon to play with my daughter, get her snacks, etc. I pay them a little less than I might pay a high school or college-age babysitter to keep her if I actually left the house. I’m hoping that this is the last year I’ll have to do it – she’ll be in 1st grade next year. I do limit my teaching to 3 hours in the afternoon.
Atara January 20th, 2009 at 8:39 am 6
I’m all about babywise! We have a sitter watch the baby while I teach. But, the schedule is a dream! The sitter can’t believe how she can just put the baby down for naps and BAM – he’s out!
Fiona January 24th, 2009 at 3:22 am 7
I am enjoying reading your blog! Good on you for managing baby and students! We did Babywise too, and it was wonderful! When my baby got to about one year old I had a young teenage neighbour come in to babysit for an hour, I think, while I taught. Then we renovated and I had my second child, so I took a break from teaching for a few years. Just couldn’t manage two baby/toddler routines plus trust the neighbour … etc. When my younger daughter was about 3 or 4 I started teaching again, but not much. Now my girls are 9 & 11 and I teach only 1.5hrs. They finish their homework and watch TV. I really couldn’t leave them much longer or they start arguing, or become zombies for the rest of the day from too much TV! Fortunately I have 12 students in the daytime – 10 at a school and 2 adults and I just have to say “no” to the many other requests for afternoon lessons. All the best with your little one! And can I recommend “Terrific Toddlers” by Mel Hayde if you continue with the Ezzo ideas? Brilliant for putting a daytime activity routine into practice for toddlers up to school-aged.