The comment I hear most from parents of singing kids is “well, I know they’re never going to be a GREAT singer, but….” And when I hear that, the little voice in my head screams what recently spilled out of my loose lips to a parent of an extremely talented student of mine; “With all due respect, shuuuuuuut uuuup!”
If you are a lawyer, there will always be another lawyer you view as more compelling than you. If you are a mechanic, there will be another shop that pulls in more money than yours. If you bake, someone will always have a new design you never thought of. And yes, if you sing, there will ALWAYS be someone you view as much better than you. Ask any ‘great singer’. They probably have a few names in mind right now.
I have to tell you, as a voice teacher I think there aren’t enough ‘successful’ singers trying to become ‘great singers’. But as a parent, I totally get that we want to encourage our kids without giving them false hopes when we’re not sure they can achieve what they dream of. Besides, as someone who also forks out the cash to have others teach my kids different skills, I get that we all want to make sure we’re investing in the right areas.
If you’re paying for your kid(s) to be involved in the arts, whether it’s voice lessons, instrument instruction or theater, it’s probably because you saw a spark of talent in them and an interest that you want to support.
Most kids won’t become ‘stars’ as we think of it. Even the really, really good ones! So are you wasting your time?
Never! When you see that your kid might have a talent for something they’re passionate about and you support it, you’re teaching them crucial life 
skills. You’re teaching them that when they have an interest, they have to work hard to get better at it and see where that leads them. They have to learn to deal disappointment when they don’t get the solo or the part they wanted. They have to learn how to deal with others who will challenge their views of themselves and their abilities.
And guess what happens along the way? Many of those kids whose parents didn’t think were strong enough to outlast the competition will work harder than you expected. They’ll dig in where you thought they’d lose interest, and they’ll become artists in their own right. Some WILL lose interest and move on to something else, and something else…and something else, until they find a passion they find worth working for. But some will discover that being involved in the arts is a big part of a fulfilling life for them. Some will use what they learned to make a good side income throughout their adult lives. And others 
will use their childhood experiences to springboard a full time music career; which in today’s market is approximately 18 months. 
We all want our kids to succeed. But we don’t know what success will look like on them. They might just surprise you and become the ‘great singer’ other kids think they can never become. But even if they don’t, they will know what it means to be supported in discovering whichever dream is right for them. And they will learn that it’s always worthwhile to take the journey to see where the road will lead.
What a really great article. VERY good reminder that our role as parents is to encourage our kids, and know that regardless of whether or not (s)he becomes a “star,” there are many life lessons to learn in the pursuit of the dream.