Reading, Dancing, Writing and 7 Other Things to Expose Kids to

Growing up is a great time to expose your kids to many different things. At a very young age, kids enjoy almost anything you throw at them and soak it up like a sponge soaks up water. Exposing your children to the following 10 things can help you raise well-rounded children with the ability to enjoy many different things in life.

1. Reading

What: Books of all kinds! My favorite books as a child were science fiction or choose your own adventure type stories. Then as I grew up I enjoyed most young adult mysteries and novels.

Why: Knowing how to read and enjoying reading are two very different things. Reading stretches the imagination and teaches children to see things in all sorts of different ways! I've enjoyed reading since I was young and now have a nice library of books, including some I've kept from my younger years to share with my kids in the future. Teaching your kids that reading is fun can keep them away from the TV and the Video Games and instead they'll be learning more and more from each book they pick up. Not to mention that, in my experience, books often have new words that kids will have to look up and learn, leading to even more learning along the way.

How: When kids are very young (0-3) read to them often and make it fun! Do voices, get into the story, and get your child engaged. Once your child is reading on their own, take them to the library once a week to pick up a new children book. There is usually a child and a young adult section in every library and letting your kid see the plethora of books will definitely keep them going! Although children enjoy familiar stories, try to get them to branch out and try a new story every-so-often.

2. Broadway and Classical Music

What: Good music, classical or broadway, or something old and jazzy! Anything that is different than the norm.

Why: In today's society, kids and teens are over-exposed to pop and rap music and they aren't really getting to know the music as it was meant to be. Exposing your kids to music where you can actually hear the instruments can really get them interested in music. Perhaps they will even want to play an instrument themselves! After listening to some classical CDs in my younger years, I was even more enticed to practice piano and try to reach that level. I also enjoyed Broadway from a young age and going to the shows is definitely a fun experience. Getting your kids into broadway will expose them to a different side of entertainment that may affect the way they define a fun night out.

How: Take your kids to a child-friendly broadway show as soon as they are old enough to sit still for a few hours. Play classical music around the house and point out to your kids the different nuances and instruments in the music. Play a game to see if they can pick out what instruments are being played. You'll be helping their musical ear and having some fun at the same time.

3. Dancing or Gymnastics

What: Sports are nice, but if you can get your kid into at least a few dancing or gymnastics classes when they are young you will be happy with the results.

Why: Dancing and/or gymnastics teach your child three very important things - Balance, Rhythm and Showmanship. Teens who have Rhythm are more likely to dance at parties. Having experience on stage performing in front of others teaches kids not to be super-shy since they have experience in public. Finally, all of us could use a little balance in our life! Some parents don't want to put their sons in dance, so gymnastics is a good option. It doesn't have to be permanent, maybe just when they are young and flexible and in need of these skills.

How: Sign your kids up for dance classes or gymnastic classes that teach them the skills they need to know while still having some fun!

4. Art - Scrapbooking, coloring, and other creative projects

What: Anything and everything creative - whatever you like!

Why: Art is very important in a person's life. It adds variety, enhances your thinking, and teaches you how to enjoy the smaller things in life. Children don't get enough art in their school lives all the time, so it's important to get your kids interested in art in any way you can. Even if you don't want your child to be an artist, teaching them art can help them in their futures. As a web designer, creative thinking comes into play all the time! Even lawyers and doctors need some creative skills to do their job. Don't think of Art as a waste of time, it's useful to everyone.

How: Coloring books are just the beginning. As your child gets old enough, expose them to different types of art like making clay bowls, painting, and more. Around 10 is a good time to teach your kids about scrapbooks! Every month have them make a scrapbook page to reflect on their favorite events of the month. Not only is it a good way to enhance their art skills, it's also a great way for them to have a memory in the future.

5. Writing

What: Journaling, blogging or creative writing - anything to get the mind flowing.

Why: First of all, writing can be a great outlet for anyone of any age. Whether they are letting your day to day feelings out in a journal, or exploring your imagination and writing a creative story, a child's mind will be working hard. Over the years I feel my writing improves day after day. The more I write, no matter what I write about, it gets better every day. Best of all, in High School and College I aced almost every paper because I had started my skills as a kid. If your kids enjoy writing, then typing a paper will become a breeze, and any job that involves any kind of writing will come easy to them.

How: As soon as your child learns to write, give them notebooks and pens to start sharing their thoughts. You could have one book that is for creative stories which you could read together after they've written them. Acknowledging their writing and their imaginative stories will only make them enjoy it more. Another book you could give them would be a journal for them to keep their private thoughts in - but you have to promise not to read it!

6. Chores

What: They don't need to do everything, maybe just cleaning their room, picking up their toys and helping out with small things around the house.

Why: This one should be obvious, the sooner you give your children responsibility for cleaning up after themselves, the easier it will be to get them to participate in chores as they get older. At a very young age, you can make chores seem fun, but as kids get older they'll know it's actually work! If you don't want spoiled children, start teachingt hem responsibility as soon as you can.

How: You can start out by making chores like a game. Give your kid 5 minutes to put away as many toys as he can, or 5 minutes to make his bed! Not only will they enjoy the challenge, but they'll also do the chores fairly quickly. As kids get older, slowly assign them another few chores to help out around the house. When they are old enough to know chores aren't fun, an allowance could be a great motivation.

7. Healthy Snacks

What: Apples and oranges, veggies and more!

Why: Anyone who thinks kids demand sugar obviously hasn't raised their kids right. Children demand what they think is the best thing out there, and if you teach them from the very beginning that fruits and veggies are a yummy treat, kids will want those. Kids need these healthy foods to grow, but it's even better if they are still into veggies as an adult. I know teens who only drink juice and kids who think of an apple as a reward for a good job.

How: Keep the sweets away from your house and your kids as much as you can. Cake should be saved for birthday's, sugary snacks should be only once in awhile. Show your kids how yummy fruits and veggies can be by serving them up in different unique ways. There are books out now about how to hide veggies in your kids food, but all I know is that no one needed to trick me into eating healthy snacks as a kid. I actually enjoyed an orange dipped in yogurt, or a celery stick with peanut butter! Teach your kids the right way and you won't have to trick them.

8. Different Foods

What: Mexican, Italian, Chinese and more!

Why: I've seen so many kids that are leery of eating anything besides mac and cheese or hotdogs. Exposing your kids to a variety of cultural foods at a young age will allow them to more easily branch out and try new foods as they get older. I loved Mexican from a young age and remember trying many different types of foods as I grew up.

How: Make it a point to cook up something different once a month, or go to a new restaurant every so often. Get your kids to experiment and try something new whenever you can. Sometimes it might be harder than others, but the more exposure they have the more likely they will be willing to try something new and different in the future. Teach your kids that there is more to life than Easy Mac!

9. Family Night

What: A night to spend with only family, watching a movie or playing games.

Why: When kids are real young, you are with them all the time. However eventually they start to make friends and spending time with you is low on their list. Family Night is a great way to get kids to enjoy spending time with you so that even when they are "too cool" to hug you in public, they'll still have one night a week to spend time with you. They might not admit it, but kids of all ages enjoy spending time with their family.

How: Schedule one night a week to be Family Night. Each week take turns picking out what to do such as rent a movie, play a board game, or when your kids are older you can go bowling.

10. Technology - and I'm not talking about Video Games!

What: Computers, digital cameras, cell phones and more.

Why: The future is technology, and you don't want your kids to fall behind. Children should be raised now-a-days to learn new things about technology as often as possible. Who knows, in the future they may be teaching you a thing or two that you didn't even know! Although video games do teach kids a bit about coordination, memory and more, video games should be more of a reward for a job well done then something kids are allowed to play with for hours at a time.

How: I would allow games, mostly the educational ones, but otherwise teach your kids how to use anything technological as soon as you feel they can soak it up. Let them take pictures with your camera, program numbers in your cell phone, and practice typing on the computer. Just make sure you don't let your kid become a coach potato; teach them these skills in moderation.

These 10 Skills can help your kid as they grow and go into the world. Many of these things your child may already be exposed to, but hopefully this article points out some things that kids should start learning. When they are real young, they are likely to catch on quickly and soak up anything you try to teach them. You'll have to judge your own kids skill and interest level in order to know when to expose them to each of these things, but the sooner you can open their eyes to any of these things the better! Enjoy!!