Most children are ready for introductory piano lessons at four- or five-years-old. Not to say that the piano should be pushed on children at any age, but if the child is introduced to the piano and shows an aptitude for it, the child is ready to begin learning. It teaches the child cause and effect through study and repetition. When the child realizes that they can play a simple song, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb," it gives them confidence to keep practicing and learn more.
Childhood piano lessons are fun for a child as well as a parent. Even if the parent cannot play a piano, the parent can still participate with the child and chances are, the parent can learn to play the piano as well. When a child begins to show improvement, their interest becomes greater. They typically can't wait for their lessons because the lessons are fun. Some children with an aptitude for singing will also sing along as they play simple songs. Piano lessons can be very enjoyable for children.
In a world where sports are pushed on children at an early age, some kids that don't care about football are left by the wayside. Piano lessons are hard to come by in any school curriculum and those students whose interest lean to the arts, such as piano, are forgotten or ignored. By giving your child private piano lessons, they get to learn something in which they are interested. When the child has even a small amount of musical ability through piano lessons, their self confidence can rival that of any sports figure, with real accomplishment to back it up.
Discipline cannot be forced on any child. When this is attempted, it almost always backfires. If a child learns discipline on her own she understands it. Playing piano takes discipline. The child's interest in the piano will introduce the discipline. At first, the child won't notice it, but when she looks back at all the practice she has done, and the music she can now play, the discipline factor has already been installed into her personality, the appreciation for discipline is understood.