Dealing with small children

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Lisa,
 What a woooondeeeeerful idea.  I will have to start carrying some blank
paper and a few color sticks with me ( you  know the ones that look like
bullets in a pencil and 5 colors ) so that the older rug rats will have a
good time while missing the TV program they wanted to see. This would make
the tuning of the piano a special event for them to remember.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Joe Goss

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> From: Lwellerrpt@aol.com
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Dealing with small children
> Date: Thursday, June 18, 1998 9:23 PM
> 
> Hello, List-
> 
> I enjoyed the topic of shake, rattle & roll.  That inspired this post.
> 
> I often tune in homes with small children.  Many times the mother or
baby-
> sitter leaves the children in the room with me.  Once a woman even left
her 6
> month old baby propped up with a pillow on a blanket on the floor near me
and
> went out to the backyard to trim the hedges.  The baby amazed me by being
very
> quiet for 1/2 hour.  He finally spoke up when he fell over into a
position he
> couldn't get out of.  I called her in and she just came in and made sure
he
> was ok and went out again.  I left that house very angry.  I actually
tore up
> her file card.
> 
> Usually, I show the children a little about the piano, reminding them
when
> they start playing the keys while I'm tuning that "It's my turn right
now."
> (S.Kline- with me it's always the treble keys because I'm a lefty)   I
promise
> to show them how to play something if they're really young, or to listen
to
> them play when I'm done.  
> 
> This is what I show the little kids:   I ask them if they know the story
of
> Goldilocks and the three bears.  Then I go to the keyboard, moving the
bench
> out of the way... "This is the Papa bear song." (lowest A ding ding
ding.)
> Have them toddle up to the middle... "This is the Mama bear song "
(middle C
> ding din ding)  Toddle some more to the treble...And this is the Baby
bear
> song! (highest C ding ding ding)
> My mother surprised me by teaching this to my son when he was 18 months
old.
> He was so proud.  Very cute.
> 
> If the children are just hanging out (and making noise) because they feel
> obligated to watch me, I tell them about my collection of drawings other
> children have made for me of their pianos.  Then I ask them if they'd
like to
> draw me a picture of the piano in their house.  I have some great ones. 
I've
> never had a kid say no to drawing a picture yet.  After the drawing is
done,
> that usually distracts them enough to keep them out of the room.  
> 
> Lisa Weller, RPT
> Los Alamitos, CA
> Southbay Chapter