What's the best Instrument for my child?

There are three possible answers to that question.

First, "Which instrument?" is not nearly as important
as "What teacher?" Find the very best music teacher
you can and, regardless of the instrument they
teach, have your child study with them. You only get
one chance to make your child love the study of
music. Choose their first teacher carefully.

The second answer is "Whatever instrument seems to
excite them the most." Do they get excited when

Dad plays his guitar? Do they beg to take lessons with their older sibling's violin
teacher? If not, how about taking them to observe several teachers, each of a
different instrument? When they walk out of one of those lessons saying "When
do I get my (insert instrument name here,) Mom?" you'll have the answer.

The third answer depends upon what you want your child's early music
experience to be like. In one group are instruments like the violin and the viola.
They have the advantages of being very portable, and of giving kids the
opportunity to participate in orchestral and chamber music programs. In the
other group are instruments like the piano and the harp. These are both multi
voiced instruments, lending themselves more to solo work and to the teaching
of harmony and counterpoint.

(Note! The following is a shameless plug for our beloved instrument.) One of
the reasons the guitar has been so popular over the years is that it has some of
the best attributes of both of the above groups. It's very portable yet, being a
multi voiced instrument, provides ample opportunity to teach harmony and
counterpoint. It also lends itself well to both solo and chamber work.