We said our son could practice guitar downstairs and then complained every time he did

My thirteen-year-old's guitar was too loud beside his sister's homework. We asked him to practice in the den.

He practiced in the den.

My husband asked him to stop during a call. I asked him to stop while I watched something. His sister asked him to stop because she could hear it anyway.

On Thursday he put the guitar back in its case and said, “Where is the place you meant?”

We had supplied a room, not a time when the room was actually available.

The noise is repetitive. I can be pleased he is learning and still find the same few notes difficult company. He doesn't need me to pretend every practice session is a concert.

But our solution had consisted of moving him to another room and hoping the problem would disappear.

We looked at when we actually use the den. My husband has some scheduled calls. My television time is less fixed, though I had been defending it with the same urgency.

We agreed on one period he could use. If a call moved into it, the adult changing the plan would tell him before he unpacked.

He asked whether that meant we wouldn't comment on the noise.

I said it meant ordinary practice noise wouldn't be a reason to cancel the time we had offered. Other practical issues could still be discussed.

He practiced yesterday. I recognized a little more of the tune than last week.

I didn't announce that from the sofa. He was concentrating, and we were finally letting him use the room.