Practice Makes Perfect

Flick on the television, and there's a rock star with screaming fans or a player whacking a baseball out of the park. Our children didn't see the years of guitar study or the hours spent swinging in the batting cage. No wonder kids hate to practice. What fun is it laboring at a skill if they're just reminded, through dreary repetition, that they're not yet good enough to be famous?

As adults, we know that the accomplished people who inspire and guide us and our kids achieved skills through passion and diligent practice. Sometimes, it's hard to convey that idea to kids, and harder still to avoid being frustrated into arguing with a child who seems to dread practice.

So what works? How can you get reluctant, frustrated youngsters to practice the skill that they'll be proud of in the future? The answers involve some work on your part -- and nary a raised voice.