Practical Positive Parenting Advice and Resources
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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.
For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Home collection
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.
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]
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.
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]
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.
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.
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.
For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Home collection
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Adore Them is proud to be the Marketing Partner for the Lancaster Baby Shower
A Huge Thank You to every sponsor, exhibitor, attendee, and volunteer that helped to make Lancaster’s 5th Baby Shower a huge success!
This year’s virtual event was presented by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. While we missed seeing everyone’s smiling face in person, the virtual event allowed attendees to participate no matter their location. And it provided them with the convenience of tuning in from home, or from wherever their schedule allowed. This feature ensured that every guest could take advantage of all the wonderful show features, and didn’t miss a thing!
The Lancaster Baby Shower featured dozens of local and national businesses that showcased their incredible products and services that cater to young and growing families. With a focus on pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond; this event offered something for everyone! Attendees appreciated the variety of learning sessions, the vendor videos, the free raffle items & giveaways, the lunchtime entertainment, the baby & pregnancy trivia, and even the interactive opportunities through comments and photos.
A very special thank you to our show sponsors – without your help and support we would not have been able to offer such an amazing event for our attendees!
We hope that you will follow us for continued updates and parenting information throughout the coming months as we plan the rest of our 2020 events, and begin planning for 2021.
Ways to Follow Us:
To learn more about this event, check out the full Lancaster Baby Shower collection
There is a form of synesthesia where people see letters and numbers as colors! It is a beautiful way to imagine the world, and it seems like it would automatically bring more personality to each and every name, word, or equation that you come across. (Would taxes be more enjoyable if they were more colorful??) Of course, the first question that comes to mind when learning about this phenomenon is, “What color is my name?” Luckily, there is a synesthesia tool created to let you discover and share just that!
I had fun looking up my family members’ names, and then looking up other words in general!
I also encourage you to spend some time browsing the synesthesia site and learning more about the topic! It is a fascinating project that is a great reminder of just how differently we see the world sometimes 🙂
How many days have I been a parent? This simple question resulted in a whirlwind that has reached 2 million people on Facebook (and counting)! To find out for yourself, Google this: “How many days since [ your first child’s birthdate ].”
– Check out the viral Facebook post HERE –
How many days have I been a parent personally? 3,500 days right on the nose! And that number was amazing to see.
Those numbers are validating because we know just how much goes into each and every day as a parent! Being a parent is not a 9-5 job. There is no paid time off (in fact you don’t get paid at all). And you work nights and weekends. Picturing thousands of days of parenting makes you understand why you feel permanently tired!
It also puts the various stages of parenting into perspective. My heart goes out to the parents who haven’t even hit triple digit numbers yet. Those early days of parenthood are so challenging in so many different ways! Making it through baby’s first year is an accomplishment all on its own because each and every day is so intense.
There are the parents like me that are currently in that sweet spot of parenting. Our kids still need us, but their problems are still relatively small. Sure, we spend hours in the minivan trekking to and from youth sports and other activities; but the kids can at least buckle themselves into said minivan unlike the toddler stage that is in your rearview mirror.
I was able to look up to the parents just a few thousand days ahead of me and respectfully understand that they are trying to navigate the teenage years. Those parents have bigger concerns with real world ramifications for their children, and I can only imagine how many sleepless nights they are still enduring. The waiting, the worrying, and the wondering that goes along with raising a teenager can’t be easy.
Parenting also doesn’t stop once your child becomes an adult! There were many people commenting who were well past the 10,000 days mark, and yet they still have an incredibly important role in their children’s lives. Parenting is a beautiful commitment to a lifetime of love and helping your family through the ups and downs.
So whether you have been a parent for 8 days or 8,000… you are amazing! And you deserve credit for the many, many long hours you have dedicated to raising your family.
How many days have YOU been a parent? Share with us on Facebook!
And for parenting tips and resources, check out our full website: AdoreThemParenting.com
Our family loves celebrating Christmas! We enjoy opening a door of our advent calendar every morning. We like writing letters to Santa. Sipping warm cocoa. Decorating the house. Searching for the elf on the shelf. Baking cookies, and so much more! But one thing we are always sure to do, is mix up some Reindeer food, read the special poem, and sprinkle it in the yard on Christmas Eve. Because this magical recipe will help ensure that Santa’s sleigh finds it way to our house 🙂 Below is our favorite Reindeer Food Recipe, along with a free printable poem. Enjoy!
This article is written by Karissa Tunis
For more on this topic, check out the full Happy Holidays collection
Some years we enjoy making this at home together as a family. And other years, I offer to go into school and help each of my children make it with all of their classmates. It is always a huge hit! What I love is that it is less messy than decorating cookies or gingerbread houses, but still offers something fun for the kids to take home and show their parents.
If you decide to make this at school, or with a group of kids, I suggest pouring the ingredients into large separate bowls. Have the kids form a line, and walk around the table (almost like a buffet), adding a scoop of each item to their goody bag. At the end of the line, have a parent or teacher make sure each bag is sealed, and staple the poem to the top. Now their parents will know exactly what to do with this fun reindeer food!
Each child will need one goody bag to store their mixture. What goes in it is up to you, or each little chef. But my favorites are:
Grab some cardstock, print this out, and staple it to your goody bags. Read it again on Christmas Eve night before you sprinkle your Reindeer Food on your lawn.
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A study conducted by the University of Toledo suggested that children who have fewer toys are more creative and have longer attention spans. The Ohio-based university recruited 36 toddlers who were allowed to play in a room with either 16 toys or just four. They found that the toddlers who played with four toys used each for twice as long.…
Create, draw, & name your own Dr. Seuss style character to celebrate his birthday!
— Click the image below to view, save, & print —
For more on this topic, check out the full Get Organized collection
We hear all the time how important it is to open up the lines of communication. Communication improves relationships with partners, friends, & coworkers; but we can’t forget that it also improves our relationships with our children.
Taking the time to have a genuine conversation with your child can be so much fun & so insightful! It also helps to build up a great family bond, which is why we are offering a few family conversation starters to go a long with each curated collection of content….