Bringing Up a Creative Child

The world today is full of changes, surprises and dangers. We cannot predict what situations and challenges a child would encounter in his lifetime. It is not enough to train a child to have reading, writing, language and hand skills. It is vital to bring up the young to be creative, to possess a positive sense of self-worth and value, more flexible and resilient. Hence they are able to solve the unusual problems they may face in this complex, global society.

Here are a few tips on how you can help your child to be creative through very basic everyday routine.

Selection of toys

The word 'Toys' here means playthings. A toy need not be a doll or a teddy bear. A toy can be the spoon that a child uses to bang the table. A toy can be some colored water that the child is smearing about with his fingers. It is hard to believe, but objects found around the house can be more fascinating to young children than the toys meant for them. However, other than a few plastic odds and ends, many household objects can be dangerous (and expensive to repair too!) so children are given toys bought from toyshops.

While buying toys, don't forget battery operated toys can only let children be observers. A child can only watch a battery operated car to race around the floor. The so called educational software often only requires a child to choose between 'yes' or 'no', in other words, a child learns there is only one correct answer to a problem. That is not creative. Whereas building blocks, puzzles, toy kitchen utensils, play dough, color pencils, crayon, all require a child to interact and participate in the 'playing' process creatively. Board games and puzzles are good as family activities. However, you have to choose the ones suitable to the child's age.

Spend time with your child and create together

Share your time with your child generously. Children develop creativity not when you tell them to, but when you show them how. Parents are the best role models for the children. Tell a child a story and encourage him to create different endings. Draw pictures together and select the better ones to hang on the wall. Make poems together, and then ask him to decorate them and bind them into an anthology. The anthology could well become the best childhood memory for your child to treasure. Be spontaneous and encourage your child to make funny faces, animal sounds, walk an animal walk, imitate and act out funny characters from the books or television shows. Keep the child active and alive, let him observe and participate with the world around him.

Be encouraging but avoid being pushy.

If the child does not want to take part in a certain activity, do not force him. The child may really dislike that kind of activity or has a certain phobia for it. A parent can encourage a child to try new things, but never insist or be pushy. Pressure can only have negative effect. Just be patient and understanding. Find out the cause of the phobia if you can, or else just leave it and go on to some other activities.

Peer groups

Interactions with peers are important for a creative child. Sharing, helping, supporting each other are not only moral values a child has to learn, these experiences also stimulate and enrich a child's creativity power. Therefore, do give enough time for a child to play and involve with his peers; children often pick up new survival skills while they are playing together.

Exposure

Give the child enough exposure to the world today. Let him know how your washing machine, vacuum cleaner and water pump work. Give him a chance to mess around with unused cosmetics, old clothes or old newspapers. Take him to book stores, aquariums, zoos and museums. If you have neither the money nor the time to take him to tour around the world, at least take him for adventures around your neighborhood. Bushes behind the houses can become an imaginary jungle; the big monsoon drain is like the Amazon River of Huckleberry Finn. Over protectiveness not only kills creativity, it may also cause unnecessarily danger. Take him to experience and observe these risky places. It is safer for you to take him there rather than one day he just went there on his own!

Beware of comparisons, judgments and criticisms

Comparisons, judgments and criticisms will eventually kill the creative mind. If you keep telling the child that his sister can sing better, he may one day just stop singing. Do not judge nor restrict, if you constantly point out his house is out of shape, the tree should be outside the house and so on, he may simply give you what you want in future, and stop creating anything at all. Remember, creativity is about being unique, using a special way to express oneself, and not just doing what everyone does.

Let your child experience the satisfaction and the intrinsic pleasure of being creative.