Lol! I just spit my red wine out on said elephant in the room laughing! I love the harp but not one of the string orchestra choices in fifth grade. I know first world problems...

lol!! bpathome you just made my sad day into my happy day lol

We had a guitar for several years. it looked very cool. except that the kids(first DD, then DS) slacked and didn't want to spend hours training even though it was them passionately asking for that damn guitar..

it was a smaller sized home. actually was a 2 bedroom rental. we kept it pretty sparce. Say I always felt-very vaguely-something was missing.

years later I realized we never had a coffee table..))

long story short. that guitar, at the end of the day, was standing pretty. that's about it. i think their Dad sold it eventually on Craigslist or something

(my brother for example was really into playing guitar..he self taught himself when a teen, was spending hours playing and later became part of an informal rock band in his college. he left when we left the country; but interestingly the rock band went to be famous..

they're still in touch with the soloist-his then-best friend.

I'm like a black sheep in my family..only babies and people who love me unconditionally can stand hear me singing lol.

my kids-they do take after my brother..but they very clearly lack his passion. they do love listening to music though. DS does his homework with music on. it's beyond my understanding, but I know it works like that for many people.)

I threaten my children with having to hear my singing when they are misbehaving and it always snaps them instantly into submission, April.

I love music and the idea of kids making it but damn this half bass is big! I should stop " harping" on it and be grateful it is not that loud during practice I suppose.

I spent many years with a piano, a bass-clarinet, an accordion, a flute and two tuba's in residence.....

This too shall pass! We are empty nesters now, with a guitar, a piano and an accordion keeping us company :)

Blessings to you for encouraging your kidlets to do music!!!!

J

Enjoy it! As long as they are responsible for their "things" all should be fine - believe me - it goes WAY TOO FAST! My girls were athletes & played instruments in band - they had to make sure their dirty clothes/uniforms were in the laundry and their instruments were kept in the den. Homework was done either at the kitchen table or in their room.

DS played trumpet..then one May came home and told me he was switching to TUBA--just in time for Marching Band to begin. He did not understand my SHOCK at that choice. That summer he purchased a guitar/ mandolin/ ukulele/ Tuba and a base drum. Time passes QUICKLY--share, you won't regret it!!!

It does pass quickly. My son played a Euphonium -- for those who don't know, it's a big-a$$ horn. For 6 years. My solution was to set up his practice space in the basement (which is finished -- didn't make him go to a dungeon). So yes, it does go by fast, but of course you should do what you need to do to preserve your sanity!

My son played the baritone from grade 4 to grade 8 when he switched to the tuba which he played until he graduated. Why you ask - because he liked the sound of it. We rearranged the living room where he practiced so that it could be stored in a corner when it wasn't being used.. The living room has vaulted ceilings and according to his tuba teacher was best for the sound.. Our other son was more obliging and played the trumpet.

Sports Equipment - . We had a portion of our basement redesigned and custom storage built for the skis, the golf clubs, the mountain bikes, and shoe shelves built for soccer cleats, hiking boots, ski boots, discs for ultimate.etc. It helped bring order to chaos.

Funny story about the ultimate discs (fancy words for frisbee when you play at the worlds level) I used one for a planter saucer - how was I supposed to know that it was a competition disc and not a practice disc.

Everything had a place and nothing was ever, ever, ever allowed to be dropped or stored at the main entrance that we used into the house. That included back packs and shoes.

Oh and when they move out to their teeny tiny apartments you will still be a storage locker for all their cr@p.