Piano teacher refuses to keep teaching a talented 9-year-old after finding out her mother secretly films lessons to make her go viral on social media: ‘I didn't feel comfortable being recorded’

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Sep 27, 2026 6:00 AM EDT

How many times can a parent cross the same boundary before the lessons are over?

Listen, I'm with the piano teacher here. There was some debate about whether what she did was the right call or not, but I'm sure she did the correct thing in this situation. Let me give you some more background…

This music teacher had been teaching a 9-year-old little girl who was smart and learnt fast. She was talented and seemed very interested in the instrument. The first two months of lessons, things were going great between them, except for the girl's mother, who started to record everything with her phone. At first, the teacher didn't think much of it since maybe they just wanted to have some memories.

However, she came across those videos on social media with captions like 'watch how she does this trick at once', and tagging some music accounts to make her go viral. The mother wanted her daughter to become a social-media star and music prodigy, and was posting every single thing that happened during the different lessons. Needless to say, the teacher was very upset.

When the girl came back, she politely asked the mother not to record since she didn't feel comfortable, and she was not okay with being online without her consent. She started to argue and tried to tell her that the videos were for the family to see, and that account had already a bunch of followers who wanted to see how the girl progressed.

During the following lessons, she had to interrupt because she noticed the woman filming, and even told her that if she saw the phone one more time, she was going to cancel the lessons. Of course, the mother tried to record once again, so the teacher told her not to come back since she couldn't trust them to comply with a single boundary. 

The mother was very upset and told her that the only one who was being punished was the innocent child, who was talented and loved the piano lessons. But if you ask me, the mother made her daughter lose the chance of becoming good at piano because of her greed.

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  • A piano teacher guides a young student through a lesson.
    via Unsplash+ (via Andrey K)

    A piano teacher guides a young student through a lesson.

    Models for explanatory purposes only.  

  • AITAH for refusing to keep teaching a student after her mom kept filming our lessons for social media without asking me first?
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  • I give piano lessons at home. It is my only job which I have been doing for six years. Last year I got a new student nine year old girl. She was a nice girl and quite talented, understood everything quickly.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • After two months, I saw that the mother used to sit in a corner during the lesson and record her daughter playing with her phone. At first, I did not pay any attention to this fact thinking that she simply wanted to keep some memories of her daughter's
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • progress. However, later on, the mother used to post these short videos online with such captions as "watch how she does this trick at once" and tagging some music accounts to make her daughter famous and go viral as a prodigy.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • I politely asked the mother to stop recording during our lessons or at least to ask me before doing so because I am also in the video and I do not want to be uploaded somewhere without my consent.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • She started to argue saying that "it is for the family" although the account she used to upload these videos was public and had thousands of followers already.
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  • In the very next class, she did it all over again. I interrupted the class and informed her that I didn't feel comfortable being recorded without permission and if she ever tried that again, I would have no choice but to stop teaching her child.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • Two weeks later I found her trying to record from her phone placed against the wall in a subtle manner. This time, I ended the class and told her that I wouldn't be able to teach her daughter any more lessons as I couldn't trust her not to violate a boundary twice in the same way.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • She got angry and claimed that I was punishing an innocent child for "nothing" and exaggerating as it is just video recordings of piano lessons. Some other parents whom I know were aware of this incident and they believe that I was overreacting since the girl was the one to suffer.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • A young piano student plays piano with her teacher during a lesson.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    A young piano student plays piano with her teacher during a lesson.

    Scene is illustrative and does not depict actual individuals or events.

  • Spectre Omega NTA. She set up a hidden camera in your home after being told no, so she's the one who cost her kid a teacher.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • Mysterious_Law_7269 ΝΤΑ May a suggest a social media policy in your payment contract that you wont be recorded and posted without previous permission. Just to make it clear and head it off in the future?
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  • Away-Elephant-4323 NTA she didn't even get your consent to be in the recording just posted it on her time and still isn't listening to you, i feel bad for the girl that she lost you as a teacher because of her mothers hearing problems on not respecting boundaries when she's told from others.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • EnvironmentalSir8140 NTA- you tried to work with the parent but they didn't respect your boundaries.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • Upbeat Goose_9330 Nope you're nta
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  • Traditional_Pain_515 Definitely NTA. This should 100% already be obvious - but in this day and age it seems like most people just assume others should be okay with being posted online. That is an incorrect assumption. You have a right to privacy, regardless of the reasoning behind it.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • Suspicious_Juice717 NTA She probably violated some serious wiretapping laws. At least in places I lived, recording audio without consent is a huge deal.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • Radiant Beel NTA. As KaliTheBlaze said, her mother is the one causing the suffering. You could offer to keep the child as a student but not have the mother present. Idk if you can/feel comfortable with having the child alone. It would still allow the child but have more safety for you.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • A talented young piano student practices piano.
    via Unsplash+ (via Brook Cagle)

    A talented young piano student practices piano.

    Actor performance of story events.

  • Herefiraita Absolutely NTA. That's crazy.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399
  • ChaosWorrierORIG ΝΤΑ You didn't make the child suffer, her mother did by ignoring you, and not respecting the boundary given.
    via Zestyclose-Cat2399

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piano lessons Music students mother piano teacher social media
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