Beginner flute

[jan_whisper]

Greetings!

My 7 year old is about to take up the flute. So I'm planning to take her flute shopping to specialist shop in a few weeks and I'm sure they will have some ideas but I was after any help or tips that I might consider before I go.
I would like to get her a decent instrument because I think it's frustrating to learn on something that can't ever produce a lovely sound, however hard you try. But equally I realise that her technique will take some developing and that buying something suitable for, say, a grade 6-7 student would probably just be a waste of money?

For instance, I've seen quite a bit about the Yamaha YFL-221 and also there is a Pearl PF500 which similarly gets good reviews online. To be honest, these are at the top of our budget right now so I had also seen that there are cheaper, own-brand flutes for about $300 - are these likely to be any good? Or these are just a waste of money? Should I consider a better flute, but a second hand one?
As I've already checked, here viewtopic.php?f=4&t=27670 fluteguy18 said that:

Learning a classical musical instrument is not a cheap endeavor. In USD, Student flutes generally go between $800-1200, Intermediate from $1600-3000, Pre-pro from $3000-9000, and Pros from $10,000-100,000+.

So I believe that cheaper models won't work, though I'd like to hear your opinions anyway.
Any thoughts and advice, gratefully received!

Thanks in advance.
Jane.

[pied_piper]

For a 7 year old, the main consideration will be the size of the flute. With stringed instruments, 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 size instruments are available so that the instrument is appropriately sized for younger hands and arms. That is not so much the case with flutes. Your thought of visiting a flute specialty shop is a good idea because they can guide you regarding whether she is large enough to handle a standard flute. You should be aware that there are some beginner flutes that have curved heads and a slightly smaller range which reduces the reach for the right hand and makes the flute more manageable for younger/smaller students.

At the beginner level, any major brand flute will be of good quality suitable for beginners. Just as you wouldn't give a high performance sports car to a teenager, a high performing flute is not necessarily appropriate for a beginner. Beginner flutes are designed to fit the needs of beginners. Take a look at this link which offers good suggestions for flutes for children under 8:
https://www.jennifercluff.com/childflut.htm

Another economical choice for the young flutist is the JFlute. It is made of plastic, but the tone is actually quite good. The flute specialty shops may not stock these, but don't dismiss them. They are available through most of the online music stores and maybe even in your nearest Music and Arts.
https://www.musicarts.com/nuvo-jflute-20-main0436681

Feel free to come back and ask more questions. I hope that helps and please report back to us with your choice and your daughters progress!