It's a tough job, but important if our students are going to succeed. This page is for parents to share ideas, creative methods and unashamed psychology they have found successful in helping kids keep at the dreaded practicing. Let me know if it is ok to use your name as the originator of the idea. Start at the lowest setting. Keep moving up until the piece has arrived at the tempo intended.
Many parents use a timer to help kids fill out the allotted time.
Break the practice up into two sessions, instead of one longer one. Treat them to a trip to the music store to buy some music they choose. Let them work on that at the end of the assigned lesson. Wendy Pattermann has her daughter draw out of a cup a paper with the number of minutes she has to practice that day. At the start of the next week, she starts over.