Helping Your Child Develop Sustainable Practice Habits: Atomic Habits for Music Students

Learning to play an instrument or music in general requires a sustainable practice habit.

The book "Atomic Habits” by James Clear shows how small changes can lead to remarkable results over time. Applying the principles/rules from this book can help your child build and sustain practice habits that will benefit them in their education and their personal lives overall.

Here are tips on how you can help your child cultivate good practice habits.

Start Small

Encourage your child to start small. It can be practising an instrument for five minutes a day or reading for ten minutes a day. Starting small is easier to maintain and gradually be scaled up over time. The little tiny, (almost unnoticeable) improvements due to the giving out little time to practise will make the child so much better at their instrument in the long run. As James Clear said in his book, "Improving by 1 percent isn't particularly notable but it can be far more meaningful"

Making it a Routine

Help your child integrate practice habits into their daily routine. Set a specific time each day for practice, that is linked to an activity that they do daily - such as eating dinner or brushing their teeth. Draw out a timetable and allocate time to each activity including practice time.

Make Practising Attractive

Use the happy hormone, "dopamine" which acts on areas of the brain that gives feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. James Clear states in his book that " Dopamine is released not only when you experience pleasure, but also when you anticipate it". Use that to their advantage. Tell your child that after practising his/her instrument, if they can give you a good demonstration of his/her practice session, then they can have an hour of playful activities or eat a favourite snack. This will motivate them to practise thereby improving his/her practising habits over time.

Set Clear Goals

Work with your child to set clear and achievable goals for their practice sessions. Break larger goals down into smaller milestones, be it playing fewer bars in a piece of music, playing a scale with one hand or answering some music theory questions a day. Celebrate each accomplishment along the way. This will keep your child motivated and focused on their progress.

Provide Positive Reinforcement

Children thrive when they are made to feel good about themselves. Offer praise and encouragement to your child for their efforts, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement can help reinforce good habits and boost your child's confidence in their abilities. Make them feel good for putting in the effort. James Clear stated that to get a habit to stick, one needs to feel immediately successful and in turn increases the odds that a behaviour or habit will be repeated next time.

Create a Supportive Environment

Taking away distractions and tempting situations makes a good practice session more likely. Create a supportive environment that encourages your child's practice habits. This may involve setting up a designated practice area free from distractions, providing the necessary tools and resources, and being available to offer guidance and support when needed.

Emphasise the Process

Encourage your child to focus on the process of practice rather than just the end result. Help them understand that improvement takes time and effort, and that setbacks are a natural part of the learning process. By embracing the journey, your child will develop resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges.

Adjust and Adapt

Be flexible and willing to adjust your approach as needed. Every child is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Pay attention to your child's preferences and needs, and be open to trying new strategies to help them develop sustainable practice habits.

And lastly,

Identity change

Help your child change their identity in a "healthy" way. Help them find healthy role models in music that they could aspire to be. The possibilities in music are vast. They could be a great pianist, composer, songwriter, music producer, singer etc and overall a good musician. Share also role models who are great musicians but also great scientists, doctors, surgeons, ambassadors, pilots, presidents, footballers… the list goes on and on.

Help them to see themselves as astounding artists and how their art can compliment their other life skills and passions and help them believe in themselves.

By incorporating these principles as a parent, you can help your child develop the habits and mindset needed to achieve their goals and succeed in whatever they choose to pursue.

Remember, small changes can lead to big results over time, so start small and watch as your child's practice habits grow and evolve.