Music teacher says my 2.5 year old HAS to sit on them

[suse]

What Holly said!

As somebody who has trained as a classical musician (trained being the operative word), rigid compliance to a musical doctrine, whether it be technique or learning to read music, can be stifling to creativity and in many ways is counter-productive to developing an understanding of the concepts of melody and rhythm.

Without knowing much about the specifics of the program I may be premature in commenting, but such concern about technique in a general toddler music group, and rigidity to a teaching method suggests that they teach music by rote rather than creatively. A refusal to be flexible to accommodate the personality of a student in favour of developing technique on instruments that at this age should really only be used to give an idea of different timbres implies to me the 'play your scales right or we'll hit you over the hands with a ruler' method of teaching.

[paradise lost]

There is never going to be a situation where i am cool with forcing DD to sit on ANYONE'S lap. And if i were a parent in your situation i think that, however cruel it seems/feels, id be pointing out how deeply inappropriate that is! I would tell that that i intended to force neither unwanted physical contact nor dogmatic musical doctrine onto my TODDLER (FFS - if a kid is 11 i can see the value in scales, but then the desire to have them sat on your lap would be entirely another thing of course...) and that i was having serious doubts about their school and wanted to speak to someone in authority.

Bx

[Lukesmum]

I definately wouldn't be making my children sit on a strange persons lap if they weren't comfortable. I would look somewhere else.

[krysalyss]

Agree agree agree. Cant add anything more to what others have said. Stick to your guns.

[Ellie]

NO WAY! The first lessons we teach kids about child protection is to recognise that feeling of 'not being comfortable' and that it's right to act on it!!!! Go somewhere else and give them the web links to the Bravehearts website in QLD....they may not even know they are doing the wrong thing!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

[Ozziehoffy]

Yep, I am with the general consensus here! I would be MAJORLY peeved if someone - who I didn't even know either mind you - was saying he HAS to sit on MY lap.... ummmmm no, he doesn't HAVE to at all!! As many have said, music is about expression, about fun and exploring the world through rhythm and sound. Oskar LOVES playing guitar and we just let him pick and strum and he can do different tempo's when he feels like it. He's having fun, exploring. If I was in your position, I would be saying NO WAY and personally, finding somewhere new. Let us know how you get on.