This week is going to be short and sweet! (At the bottom are links to the other posts in this series if you need to catch up)

When I taught piano lessons to other people’s children, it was very important to me that I looked nice and that my house looked nice. Sensible enough. These people are paying me, I’m exerting some measure of influence over this child, and I want to look the part.

I think the same should be true, even when you’re teaching your own child.

Prepare yourself and your house as carefully as you would if you were teaching someone else’s child.

Obviously, I try as a rule to be dressed and looking nice during the day just for my girls. But there are days where my appearance and perhaps even the status of my shower-ed-ness is less than desirable. But not on piano lesson day.

If the morning was rushed and I was unable to get ready, then I will take fifteen minutes before Hope’s lesson to do my make-up, earrings, outfit. I want her to know that this is important to me; I also want to help myself take it seriously even on days when I’m tired or other things around the house aren’t quite up to par.

Would I be okay looking like this if another kid was coming for a lesson?

Then there’s the house. Thankfully for us, Hope’s lessons are on Monday afternoons. Monday is after Sunday; and that means that Monday morning is basically clean up from the aftermath of Sunday time. All that to say, there’s not usually too much for me to straighten before the lesson. However, after I put the little girls down for their naps, I take a look around and try to put things away until it looks presentable.

I’m not sure that Hope notices any of this. But I know that it helps me and my mindset. I want to give her my best, to be serious and committed. And for lesson day, that means looking put together personally and having a house that’s neat.

Any other thoughts on how to be professional while teaching your own child?

Here are the links to the other posts in this series:

The Name Game

The teachers have it better

4 practice tips for during the week