How to develop children's creativity in early years
"What is the act of creation?" - Michael De Mandumi
Important to Develop Children’s Creativiry.
It's an important question. It challenges the students of creative writing and childrens creative exercises to answer. Who are we to dissect a child's inevitable glimpse into guileless humor?
To correct the many times that we see something that they perceive in a different view? To deny the never before seen but only brought to our attention time and again?
What A parents Do?
While parents do their darndest to protect their children with everything from a taser to a weapon (and occasionally, even a stun gun!), we go out of our way to try and pin down what their motives are for exploring the world of interactive expression.
It's not our job to tell them how to be, or to tell them what to do with their own children. It's our job to show them we love them and show them we care. Not long ago, I ran a tape into someone who thought we were the very two beings we've devoted so much of our time to helping.
Wish For a Creative Child.
I met with a woman who had hoped to cultivate her own child's creative gifts, only to find a child whose talent was only being repressed by her own educational system.
Not even a melting pot, I'm afraid. It's my opinion that the act of creation is one of grace. An impossible task if such a person has never seen it before. It reminds me of a family that lives in the country up on the mountain, where my parents raised, and their family has no access to a television set.
I'm sure the idea of a television, although foreign to the family, persisted, despite the complete lack of an indoor television set. Does this mean an end to all home theater projects? Until the television, such an endeavor was unimaginable.
What Can A Unreal Object do ?
Would we have the tenacity to try to fathom something as "unreal" as the world of children's creativity? The children that dare to venture into the world of creator's art can do so because it is foreign to their every day experience.
That they must try to find their way home for many more days of burned fingers and wiggly limbs. The children that have been forced to conform to the " violet finger" rule, and find themselves right back where they started, but this time with a "new" television. It's hard to live without the television, no, that is true.
Idea For Squashed Creativity.
Yet there is so much more available to us and so many wonders to behold, if only we open our hearts to the possibility. I am sick of the idea that the creativity in children should be squashed by the world.
We can take heed from the children's Afro/ interpreter and say "NO!" I can empathize with their dilemma, but also see the journey they're on to acquire a taste of their own world.
I see their joy and the wonder and the adventure to be had. No wonder the walk of the dollar sign bed is something they never tire of, no wonder they're not scared of the ever present question: "Is there more?"
Making Noise For Enjoyment.
Many times I want my daughter to feel the joy of yelling and making a noise like a baby but yet adults tend to discourage the use of vocal expression in children. Allowing them to grumble or complain rather than let them express their thoughts is wrong and sets a bad example for them.
One mom suggested she let her son eat cereal without saying 'no' and while this worked for a little while she noticed her son becoming less and less willing to eat unless he was told 'no' by mom again.
This mom felt her child needed to have say over what he wanted to eat and to stop doing anything he wanted to do because it was wrong.
Encourage Children.
I suggested to the mom that she should teach her child to encourage his preferred communication by only offering assurance and suggestions when asked, within reason, to do what wenot-say.
Now that this little boy has learned to persevere and continuously seek assistance in his screaming and grumbling, this information has allowed him to embrace his opportunity to express his thoughts.
Here's the lesson! If you believe in allowing children to be themselves, you probably will also believe in ignoring their undesirable behavior until a behavior that can be controlled is broken. It takes a bit of confidence to believe that teaching your child about boundaries and consequences can be important.
Suggestion.
Probably the basis of his behavior is that he wants more control over his life. Parents should develop children's creative minds by not sitting on the fence and saying 'no' to every activity and every suggestion they come up with.
I hope that most of working parents support and encourage the use of their child's voice in communicating. For there is nothing worse to an unwelcome child than an interruption from a parent when they're bringing home something fresh to eat.
Other parents will have a hard time encouraging their child's ingenuity and creativity because they worry if their child will master the art of communicating when they're asked to do something, the day is starting to seem like it's taken forever to readjust to their own work schedule.
Finally.
These children - even those with many intellectual stimulation - need support, even as adults, to learn how to master the art of finding their own creative avenue for doing whatever weno and how to encourage their own voice.