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Be positive! Instead of pouring water on your child’s interest in music, try to fan it into flame. Certainly we must teach our children the joy of being others-centered, to be considerate of those around them; I never let kids march around making loud, annoying blasts on the ocarina. At the same time, I think parents need to go out of their way to celebrate and encourage any little triumph of their fledgling musician. Occasionally I hear a mom say something such as, "I don’t let Johnny practice his ocarina in the house any more; he was just always playing that thing!" Another mother in a similar situation will say, "It has been such a blessing having Billy playing hymns around the house all the time." Which child do you think is more likely to continue with music? If we hold our applause until we hear our child perform beautifully, we may never get the chance.