Do We Go by Talents? Or, Our Areas of Interests? On the Education of the Children

How do we choose, for our young???  Oh, let THEM decide for THEMSELVES!!!  Translated…

As my two children were still in kindergarten, I’d found, that they’d had, the “absolute tones”, and so, as they’d entered into the elementary years, every chance there’s a music recital, I’d taken them to see.  But, when my daughter was in her third year of middle school, when my son is in the sixth grade, I’d decided, to send them on the path of music, took them up north to find private instructors.

With our training them in playing the piano, plus my daughter’s original musicality, she’d gotten into the arts school in Taipei, and following, my son was accepted into the music department as well.

Since my daughter entered into college, she’d started working as a piano instructor, but, her peers, as well as her professors felt that it’d, not done her talents any justice, she’s a natural born stage performer; in the end, my daughter chosen to perform onstage, although the money she brings in wasn’t as much as when she’d tutored the piano lessons, but her playing skills improved, whether it be national or international tours, accompanying the erhu, or the Chinese traditional instruments, or just her, soloing, she’d shone, with that confidence and flair on the stages.

My three grandchildren inherited their parents’ musicality, they’re all amazing singers.  When my eldest grandson was in the third grade, the instructor of his class recommended him for the choir, and, his parents coaxed, and threatened him to join in, but he’d, “fought hard ‘til the death”.  Last year he’d entered into the fifth grade, the school instructor wanted him to perform the erhu on the graduation, but he’d, turned down without a second thought.

And now, my second grandson followed his older brother’s lead, as I’d told him, “Your teacher put you up for choir because you’re an amazing singer!  It’s such a shame, you’d, rejected your instructor!”, he’d still, let my words become wind through his ears.  As his grandfather asked if he wanted to come to Taichung for the summers, he’d replied just like his older brother, “you want me there, fine, but don’t have me play the piano!”, we felt so stressed, because teaching him to play the piano, in a matter of few short days, he’d be able to play the tunes very well, with such great talents, but not working to better it, it’s, such a shame.

My daughter said, their uncle took them to various ball games, plus, he’d still felt quite unsettled, and, the sports would keep him calmer, he’d entered into the sports camps for the summer and winter vacations too.  If you want him to sit down to practice the piano, it would be, so painful, such a trial for him to endure.

Thinking back to how my own children marched on the path to music, and finding their own separate piece of skies, it was because I knew they were talented in the area, and, I’d, decided on their futures for them; but now, looking at my grandsons, because they’d watched the games since they were children, and developed this immense interest, and pushed aside their talents in music away, how, to choose between what one is good at and one’s own interests?  Apparently, to my grandsons, interest, is more important.

So, maybe, because these parents had, pushed their own dreams on their own children, made them into music players, and now, as the children became parents, they’d refused, to make the same mistakes as their parents had with them, and, it’s important, that you allow your own young, to exercise their freedoms to choose what they want to do, what they’re interested in, and STOP pushing them, to live out your fantasies when you’re younger!