How to stop nagging your child to practise their musical instrument

There are real challenges that sit alongside the benefits of learning an instrument, says Timothy McKenry, Australian Catholic University

It’s 4pm on a Thursday, and your child is on the couch with the iPad. You need to leave for the weekly music lesson in half an hour. You can see dust has gathered on the piano (or the flute or the saxophone), and another week has passed with only infrequent and erratic attempts at practice.