It’s common to see parents send their children to all sorts of classes, including music classes. Obviously, parents want the best for their children. They want them to excel in everything they can and be better than their peers. But is what they are doing correct? Today, we will discuss whether everyone should learn music and analyse the topic from the perspective of parents. Before you continue reading, remember to follow me and subscribe to the newsletter on my website.
Why Parents Force Their Children To Learn Music
There are many reasons as to why parents force their children to learn music. Some of them include better intelligence and creativity. Or it could just be because “It’s a nice skill to learn!”, as most parents proclaim. Indeed, there are many benefits learning music can bring, such as better hearing, coordination and dexterity. Research has shown that music enhances cognitive development in children and builds new neural connections, thereby improving brain structure. Furthermore, it enhances memory and concentration. But is it worth it?
Why It Doesn’t Work
Sure, there are many ways that learning music can benefit your child. However, it is all useless if your child is not happy learning it. All of us have our own strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. One child might enjoy playing the piano while another might find it torturous. Naturally, your child might resent you and all that he/she has learnt. Without the necessary motivation, your child will not benefit from learning music. Rather, more damage is done. The key is to find out what your child likes to do, be it drawing, cooking or playing the violin. Only when your child loves what he/she does, can he/she have the potential to be the best at it.
Conclusion
The answer to this question is a resounding no. While learning music has many benefits, everyone should have the freedom to decide whether or not they want to do so. It should not be imposed on everyone. This applies to any other skill and choices in life. A person’s happiness is more important than the skills he/she possesses.
BestOfWrite 
I love this post. I agree with you, it makes no sense to force the child if they hate it. Ironically, my extreme love for music came as a result of my parents. Although they never forced me, I was heavily influenced to love music because it was always around, in everything we did. Years later, my extreme love for music rubbed off on my kid as well. So in a round about way, we fell in music love not by force, but by influence. My parents’ musical influence may have been placed on me inadvertently, but it has served me well in life. They were just enjoying the music, while I was absorbing all of it.
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Agreed. If your child likes music, do whatever it takes for him to develop the skill. If he/she hates it, don’t force them to learn it. This applies to other skills as well. With passion, talent will naturally follow.
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