Nuturing Your Child's Creativity

My amazing cousin, Lisa Fox, wrote this article:

I recently made bracelets, to gift, with my son and I realized that so much more was going on than a lesson in giving.  We often think of craft time as something fun to do; as a mother, I have learned that crafts give me an opportunity to bond with my preschooler: it helps us learn to work together, to compromise, and to create.   Through a little research I found that it is also medium through which they can process emotions, learn to problem solve, contribute to their community, and build their self-esteem.  So, how can we not take time to do something fun, creative and beneficial for our kiddos?  Here are a few things I’ve learned about working with my son. 

When we do projects, I try to take a bit of a Montessori type of approach.  They are hands-on; he gets to choose his mediums and his creation.  I may provide choice for him, but he is the orchestrator.  This translates to mess, but messes are ok.  This allows for more freedom of expression, and an opportunity exploring necessary for children to learn and develop skills.  I find projects that he has an investment in.   By giving the project meaning to him, he retains his interest in the project longer, and takes more pride in what he has created.  So, if grandma needs a gift; then he/she gets to make it for her.  If he/she likes space we make a planets or stars.  If he/she loves a certain color at the time, we find things of that color to use.  These projects are about making it fun for your child, not controlling the circumstances so that you are happy with a, “perfect creation”.  Yes Type-A mom’s, you know who you are.

It was cold recently and so I presented my kiddo with three different crafting options giving my son a choice and again an investment in the activity.  He could make Christmas Trees out of pinecones from his pinecone collection, he could make a glow-in-the-dark Moon out of shaving cream paint, or he could make beaded bracelets as a gift for his teachers at his Pre-school.  Much to my surprise he chose to make the bracelets. 

Directions:

To make the Bracelets we got a small kit of beads complete with elastic at a local craft store.  The steps for making the bracelet are simple:

1)      I measured out the elastic string to my wrist size with some extra to tie a knot with.

2)      We folded tape over one end to keep the beads from sliding off the elastic string.

3)      We stringed the beads until there were enough to go around my wrist, since we were making them for adults.

4)      I removed the tape from the bottom and holding both ends tied three knots

5)      I glued the knots together with superglue to ensure they would stay fastened.

6)      Finally, after glue has dried cut off the extra elastic string ends

Easy as refrigerator cookie dough….  But, there is something I need to tell you; my son, as most any boy, did not just sit there and nicely make his craft.  It took a space of five hours or so to make four bracelets.  We beaded, then he dumped the beads all over the table and he played with his front-end loaders and dump trucks with the beads.  Then we took a break and played, and then we came back to it.  Small children cannot be expected to handle big projects all at once, so if you like to plow through things (no pun intended) take a deep breath,  prepare to be patient and enjoy how your child lives in the moment and has absolutely no concept of time.  The end result will be a completed project that your child will have created and you both can be proud of. 

In closing, guiding our children though life is a blessing that we as parents get to experience. Crafting is a great tool that you can use to not only develop your children’s skills, in this case things like following directions, or fine motor skills, as well as, creativity, but it gives you an opportunity to spend time with your child in a healthy and joyful way filling their love tank just a little bit more.  It gives you an opportunity to strengthen that bond to promote a good relationship between the two of you.  So next time you think you might be too busy or you just want to watch television think of your investment in that little sponge you call a child and make the best of it, create together.

By Lisa Fox

 

Resources:

Berresford, S.(1998). Nurturing artistic creativity.  Retrieved June 4, 2007 from the World Wide Web: //www.forfdound.org.new/view_speeches_detail.cfm?news_index=101print_version…

  Larson, C. (2006).  The fine art of healing the sick: Embracing the benefits of writing, music, and art.  Us News and World Report.  Retrieved June 4, 2007, from

         http://www.usnews.com/usnews/healthy/ariticles/060605/art_print.htm

Riley, K. (2000). Recreational art programming: Art studies can be worthwhile addition

         to parks and recreation programs. Retrieved June 4, 2007 from the World Wide Web:

         http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1145/is_5_35/ia_63090607/print