When your child shows interest in something you, as the parent, research their interest and find lessons, environments, or other experts that can help your child pursue those interests. For my son, that means WE are learning how to play the piano. Don’t get me wrong I have wanted to learn how to play the piano since I was in high school but I never made time for it. Having my son show an interest has pushed me to try something new and let me tell you, playing an instrument is not easy.

I have been pushed in so many ways while learning the keys and notes as well as how to read music. Playing the piano with both hands simultaneously while reading music and looking ahead to where your hands need to be for the next note is intense.

My son is learning at his level which means that I can help him practice what each key on the piano corresponds to the note in the music as well as his hand placement. I can even help him read the music that he is learning. I have loved learning this new skill with my son and I have found that the challenge is invigorating. This shared interest has helped us connect and makes our piano lesson days a mother-son adventure in patience and growth.

As I reflect on this current skill we are learning, I have found other things that I have learned that I did not know before having my son and helping him dive into his interests.

For example, I learned how to solve a rubik’s cube after we had an incident where my nephew jumbled up a solved cube and my son cried for hours about how it would never be solved again. I decided that I could learn how to solve the rubik’s cube and in essence stop any future tears on something that, in my opinion, did not need them. That is a win-win in my mom book.