A suggestion/ natural progression. I started with a toy ukele as a kid and my parents suggested that as I showed interest I might like to try a guitar. I agreed and was given one for my 11th or 12th birthday.

While I have found the guitar fun and useful, I wish I had the awareness of other instruments at that time as well as other forms of folk music. Knowing what I know now and of course now having the knowledge of the type of music I mostly play, I'd have loved to have started playing mandolin or tenor banjo at that age.

Jon