Video, pictures, dressing up. Excitement is in the air. Well, you might be able to call it excitement. At our house it way usually dread! There was also a lot of prayer that happened the week of music concert. All I wanted was an uneventful evening that we just got through. Have you ever felt that way? I bet you have. How is this simple goal met!
Here are some ideas!
1. Talk to the music teacher and classroom teacher to develop a plan. Some of the components of that plan are when does he/she get in line to march in with the class, what is the routine of the night, sharing the agenda with your child many times and where does he stand, sit? (hopefully on the end of the row)
2. Create some incentives. This is where the good old fashioned reward comes in. I remember that my son was going to be in a school musical with his class. There was lining up, marching in, standing, sitting, singing, motions. I think you get the scenario. It was a lot for my second grade son with autism and sensory processing to endure. He did it. Why? Because if he did it, he knew we were going to buy him a huge lego kit. He kept his end of the bargain and we kept ours. It enabled him to do something very hard and know that he CAN DO IT! It showed us the same thing but the reward was essential to achieve it.
3. Have a way out of the program. If it is a day where that it’s not going to happen, have a prearranged way that you and the school have agreed upon to literally “exit stage right.”
4. Sometimes the work involved or the stress involved is not worth it. It’s ok not to do everything. If the spring music concert is just one too many things, tell the school that your child needs to sit this one out. That’s ok. As time goes on, you will pick and choose which events are important enough to do and which ones are not.
The freedom of summer is almost here but there’s still a few details your child needs you to ensure his/her needs are met and the music program is one of them.
