Parents often respond in different ways to appreciate the creativity of their child. Sometimes, the artwork is hanged on the fridge; sometimes they are shown to relatives and sometimes tucked away to safety for future. Undoubtedly, the artwork of children is precious for parents, but they need to communicate. They need to speak to your kids and encourage them for their creative work. So – for all parents here are seven suggestions, which can help in getting started.
1. Be Thoughtful – Generic praise doesn’t help always! It’s sometimes quite discouraging for the little one. A good way is to encourage your child, talk about the work, how they have created it and why your child likes to do the work. Thus, it will help your child understand that you are really interested and appreciate their creativity.
2. Do Not Take Over – Yes, help is necessary and you might be tempted to assist your child. But hold on – let your little one find a way and get an invitation for participation. You can take your little one to the theater and speak to them about how they are feeling. Ask them about the experience and if they would like to visit again. It is undoubtedly a way to appreciate their interest.
3. More than Just a Yes or No – It is recommended to use open-ended questions which help in encouraging your child. You can ask ‘tell me about this figure?’ Instead of ‘what is it’? Open ended questions assist in articulating the thinking process of your child.
4. Helping To Learn – A good way is to ask your child to help you learn the different art skills and concepts which h/she learns. In fact, teaching helps in reinforcing learning and also helps in building the mastery.
5. Encourage this Process –The artistic product is usually seen at the end. A student goes through some processes to create such a product. Such experiences are quite useful outside as well as inside the art. In fact, it is well-known that dance, music and theater rehearsals offer great opportunities to practice the art form. It is also a way to help them learn patience, collaboration and compromise.
6. Effort Matters: It is true that every piece of art is not going to be perfect or even good. However, this doesn’t mean, the effort put into creating the piece is less. Each art involves the use of technical skills which need to be developed. All children are not equally artistic but with practice, education, patience and eagerness to learn, a child can actually develop great creative skills. Encourage your child to practice, learn new things and create exquisite pieces of art.
7. Help Them Shine – Let your child shine – help them get exposure! It is an excellent option to help your child share work. It is recommended to create a beautiful digital catalog of their accomplishments. As students are able to record their artwork, it helps in boosting their confidence and gives them a recognition which they need.
Help you child gain confidence and encourage their creativity in every way.
