All parents should be welcome to sit-in on their child's lesson anytime. This gives parents the opportunity to hear the concepts that are being taught, and it also allows the teacher to discuss the student’s progress with the parent. Parents may also be able to share useful information about their child's learning style.
I require the parents of young children to be present during every lesson simply because young children who have their parents with them during the lesson play the guitar better than those who have not had their parents sit-in on their lessons.
Most 7 and 8 year old children are not able to absorb all of the lesson material and then apply it to their daily practice sessions on their own, even when I make careful notes on their assignment sheets. I have seen many young kids feel frustrated and quit lessons simply because their parents were not present during the lessons and did not help their child at home.
In order for a child to be successful, she/he needs to understand the assignments, practice on a daily basis, and hear lots of encouragement that the physical demands of the instrument will be met if she/he continues to practice every day. Parents do not need to be able to play an instrument themselves to be able to help their child, they just need to show their support and help their child develop good practice habits.
Remember that a person does not need any kind of degree, certification or training to call her/himself a guitar teacher, so it is up to you to find a good teacher for your child.
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