Children’s perception of the world is different from that of adults. They have the capacity to turn the ordinaryinto extraordinary and they interpretreality in their own way. Their creativity is innate, and if it is not stimulated, it could get blocked and even disappear while they grow up. Encouraging it not only creates and intensifies our link to our children, but also increases their awareness of themselves and promotes their socialization.
In today’s post we have included three tips to get all your stitches in time and promote the talent of your little ones.
Respect their space
A child should behave like a child. This might seem obvious, but in practice it’s not always so easy. There is a tendency to try and get children to behave like adults: sit quietly, don’t touch anything, don’t raise your voice … these are just some of the things we ask them to do.
Try to instil these values in them without using a definitive “no”. We can tell them the same thing with different words, so that they don’t understand it as a direct order. For example, instead of saying “be quiet” when we are in the cinema, we could say “we should be quiet because if not we won’t be able to see the film”.
Give them space to invent songs, to interact, to get dirty …we should give them the chance to be creative. If we don’t want them to get dirty or be untidy we have to prepare a space where they can be themselves with no limits. Try to get them involved in this task – it will be fun.
Don’t fill up their time
The rhythm of today’s life means that at times we organize their day and fill it up with so many things that apart from school breaks they hardly have any time to play as they wish. Reserving time for them is essential in their development. An hour or two to play with their parents or favourite toys will be enough for them to feel free. School clubs are fun for them but they might not always feel like playing that game or that instrument.
Don’t direct their games
A good way to get their capacity for leadership to grow is not to interrupt them when they are telling us a story, dancing or singing, unless they ask us for help. If we correct their approach we will just create insecurity and fear of failure.
We can share some of our own hobbies with them. If, for example, you like photography, you can encourage them to try it for themselves. This will promote their creativity,their capacity to take decisionsand their sense of responsibility. You don’t have to buy a new camera to get started. Can you remember what compact cameras were like before? It’s time to bring them out again, as your needs are not the same as those of a child.
If they are still enthusiastic about photography after a certain time, and the child is old enough, maybe it could be a good idea to buy them a camera as a gift for a special occasion. We should let them take photographs of whatever they want, so that they can get used to the camera and enjoy taking pictures. It will be an enriching experience for everyone.
“The creative adult is the child who has survived” Ursula K. Le Guin
What else can you think of to reinforce their creativity?We’ll be waiting for you in the comments!
