Today’s post about how to foster creativity in a child is written by Annabelle Short.
Do you remember just being completely open-minded as a child? You could compose an entire army of invisible friends, you could draw just about anything you could think of and you could find a way to play a game with just about any object in your site.
But, somewhere along the line, that all changes.
For the longest time, I feel like I have struggled with creativity…
I always thought it was just me until I had my own kids. Then, I realized, it wasn’t that I was never creative, but rather, I grew out of it. I lost my creativity.
Does that not just give you an overwhelming sense of sadness? We simply grow up and lose our creativity.
But, why do we as parents just accept that our child losing their creativity is part of life? It gets placed in a box with losing teeth or something of that nature.
Instead, we should be doing everything we can to foster more and more creativity in our child’s life…
Why is creativity important?
What if you knew the answer to all the world’s problems?
Well, let me let you in on a little secret on how to find it…
The answers always lie within creativity. Because you lack the creativity of a child, you are unable to see the possibilities and the answers that lie within such a basic object…
But, creativity defines our ability to succeed in the workplace, it defines us as humans, it defines our ability to effectively communicate in a relationship. If we are letting our children lose their creativity, we are setting them up to fail.
So, it only seems natural that everyone would be fighting for their child’s creativity…
Yet, somehow our kids are still losing it:
How do kids lose their creativity?
We live in a fast-paced world, full of ruthless competition. The models that were being used in schools in the past have since been forgotten.
Instead of teaching creativity, other areas of education have taken privilege over creativity.
And, as a result, the educational systems are robbing the next generation of their creativity, which is actually their competitive edge.
But, something can be done about it:
How do you prevent a child from losing their creativity?
A few ways you can continue to foster creativity in your child include:
- Teach them to challenge assumptions.Oftentimes, children are taught to just accept things the way they are.I will never forget being a child and asking my parents “why.” There was nothing more frustrating than when their answer was “because I said so” or “that is just how it is.”But, teach your children to question that instead of just accepting it. Teach them to think outside the box and not only wonder but try to determine why something is the way it is.They should always be curious. They should always be imagining the different outcomes and reasoning behind things.
2. Teach them mistakes are okay.
Nobody likes to make a mistake – it is embarrassing. But, mistakes are a part of life and it is okay to make them. Mistakes are not evil.Teach your child that as a result of creativity, they will make mistakes. But, this is also how they learn. So, it is okay to make mistakes, but, use them as a teaching opportunity.Oftentimes, the fear of making a mistake can greatly hinder creativity.
3. Foster curiosity and use of their imagination.There is no better way to foster creativity than to foster curiosity…As long as they are curious about something, they will continue being creative.
Teach them to ask questions, teach them to dig deeper than just the surface of everything.
Try various creative projects, such as artwork, crafts, sewing projects that forces them to create something new and to think outside the box. Crafts such as coloring, drawing, cutting help boost self-confidence and increase creativity. Sticker art projects, paper crafts, simple sewing projects are just few examples.
Just like with anything else in life, practice makes perfect. And, continuous practice of creativity will help foster the continuance of it in their daily lives.
As parents, we have the opportunity to ensure our child never loses.
Annabelle Carter Short is a writer and a seamstress of more than 5 years. She loves making crafts with her two children, Leo (age 9) and Michelle (age 11). Annabelle likes to write about crafting, sewing, and parenting. She splits her time between London and Los Angeles and writes for Wunderlabel. You can visit her blog to learn more about her and her handmade creations.
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