Karissa Tunis

It’s safe to say that all children have a creative spark somewhere inside them. They may choose to indulge in this creativity by playing, singing, drawing, or letting the creativity overcome them. This can turn into something beautiful that you’ll be happy to remind them of for the rest of their lives. Or perhaps even embarrass them at their wedding. Being creative is a fantastic way for your child to express themselves. And as a parent, you should do everything you can to foster their creativity. So here are six ways to make that possible and help foster your child’s creativity.

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Read to Them

While many people feel that the tablet or TV can only entertain kids, this isn’t the case. Reading aloud to your child will help them explore different scenarios and worlds. Many kids will gravitate towards fantasy or science fiction as it’s something totally unlike the world they know. Still, their positive experiences with reading can help them branch out towards other genres as they grow up. By reading enough, they can find nuggets or creativity wherever they are. And they might even find that becoming a writer is their path to creating, too.

Give Them a Creative Space

Having a space to create is one of the most important aspects of fostering creativity. This can be a spare room or an area where there are no rules (within reason, of course). If your kids have a dedicated space where they know they can paint, write, draw, build, and play; their brains will immediately switch into creative mode whenever they are there. This will enable creativity to flow freely. Over time they will associate creating with positive experiences. Which can then foster a love for creating, showing them plenty of ways to do so.

[Read: How To Create Your Own Art Station]

Show Enthusiasm

We’ve all seen the TV shows and movies where the parents have been solidly against any form of artistic expression. You shouldn’t need telling that this is not what you should do. Instead, you must show enthusiasm for anything they create. They won’t be making masterpieces right away, but they don’t need to. The more enthusiastic you are about songs they make, the stories they write, or the paintings they produce; the better they will feel about the creative process. As they get older and more sophisticated, they will look back on your enthusiasm as something that gave them the confidence to continue.

Let Them Be Bored

Some people will tell you that kids should never be bored and must always have something to do. However, if they are always doing something, they won’t have the chance to be inside their head, which is where the best creative adventures begin. By allowing them to be bored, they are forced to create fun all by themselves. This will help them cultivate ideas and develop intricate other worlds that they can easily get lost in.

[Read: The Benefits of Creative Playtime for Kids]

Don’t Police Their Projects

Many creative people will look back on their time at school and remember how they hated it when tasked with being creative. They preferred the creativity to come naturally. Being told to be creative, while still in the confines of an outline, does not sit well with truly creative people. So you must remember this if you want to foster creativity in your child. Scheduling creativity can stifle their potential, so try to allow them to be creative in their own time. Furthermore, you shouldn’t make suggestions about which color to make trees or how a story should go. Allow them to find their way themselves.

Remove Performance Pressure

Similarly, your child’s creativity can also become stifled if they feel pressure to perform. For most children, the simple act of imagination excites them. However, when they are expected to do well or show off in front of friends and family, they become shy. With this in mind, it’s important to allow them to create freely, rather than for any successes or competitions. While there’s nothing wrong with encouraging kids to enter contests that could provide opportunities, it shouldn’t be the sole aim of creativity. This enables the invention to flow and seep into as much of their life as possible.

The Creative Spark

Creativity is something everyone has, whether they realize it or not. It’s a fantastic way for kids to learn more about the world and escape it on days where they have nothing to do. By encouraging creativity as much as possible when they are young, you can help them find their niche that will boost their self-esteem throughout their life.

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What Your Child Should Know Before Walking to School Alone

As loving parents, we want our children to be independent and grow into mature, well-adjusted young adults. However, the idea of giving them more freedom and the green light to do things without your supervision can feel utterly terrifying. 

One of the biggest milestones in your child’s pursuit of independence is walking to school alone. They’ve probably been asking you for weeks or even months to allow them to complete this perfectly harmless task all by themselves. Of course, they know the route, and they know the quickest way to get there…but what about all the other potential hazards they could come up against along the way…and what if you’re not there to help them?

It’s a parenting minefield. However, when you believe your child is old enough (many experts recommend the age of 10) you’re going to need to put some rules in place and give them plenty of advice, not just for their own safety but for your own sanity.

Here we’ll explore what your child should know before they walk to school alone…

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Teach them to always be extra vigilant

Your child is probably proficient when it comes to crossing the road, however, they should still be encouraged to exercise caution and be wary of cars and trucks. Drivers who are distracted by their smartphones, drivers who are fatigued or speeding won’t be able to react in time when your child is crossing the road. The last thing anyone wants is a road tragedy – in the worst case scenario, if you or your child has been hit by a truck for example, you can get more info from an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer, here. 

The statistics of child fatalities and accidents involving vehicles and crossing the road are terrifying, so make sure your child understands the risks and that they never cross the road without ensuring it’s clear first. 

Help them get to know their route better

If something does go awry, it’s important that your child knows that there is somewhere they can go to if they’re confused or get turned around. If their route takes them past a church, library or a store, speak with your child about heading into these buildings and asking for help if something happens. 

Speak with school staff

Are there regular crossing guards at your child’s school? Mention to them that your child will be walking to school independently from now on and that you’d appreciate them paying closer attention to them. This will also ensure that your child crosses safely. It’s also recommended that you speak with your child’s teacher and let them know about the arrangement. That way if something goes wrong and they don’t turn up for school or they’ve arrived late and upset, they’ll know to contact you straight away. 

Buy them some reflective accessories

Now that the afternoons and early mornings are a little darker and gloomier, it’s crucial that your child is seen. Brightly colored backpacks, reflective tape and cool reflective accessories won’t just look great, but they’ll help motorists and cyclists spot your child in the dark. 

And finally, don’t panic

You know your child better than anyone, so sit down together and have a chat about them walking to school independently. You’ll both feel much more confident about the idea. 

For more on this topic, check out the full Back To School collection