CREATIVE ENRICHMENT FOR FAMILIES
I found a lot of enrichment by reading stories to my daughter every night until she was twelve years old. To this day we share those rich experiences. Many years ago we sat on the couch and I drew pictures for my daughter. He told me how he wanted the figure to look and I, as best I could, drew that figure. At the time it was just a fun game, but it was that kind of creative play that honed my daughter’s creative talents in the future and brought us closer together as two who had creatively interacted. But what I learned is that giving your kids personal time is better than prioritizing any video games they can play, better than any late reports you may have to compile, better than clustering around the TV, better than just about anything. And here’s why …
When you interact with your children through reading, writing, painting, drawing, etc. you are joining them. The personal, daily dialogues between parents and children: “… He took my ball, she called me a rat, do your homework, don’t ruin the kitchen, feed the dog, wipe your feet” …. … just don’t it is part of the interactive creative dialogue. Paren and son are on the same level. Everyone is sharing creative moments: your children enjoy listening to your reading, you enjoy drawing pictures with them and telling stories about the pictures, you all have fun writing about the day you got your cute kitten, which you have now turned into a huge family cat. and quite pompous.
FORGET THE PARENT / CHILD DIALOGUE
You walk away from the little mess of parents scolding children and children react negatively. Reading, writing, and doing art projects together puts everyone on the same page. IF you keep the level of play the same as that of all participants and forget the parent / child roles you usually play, you will have a great time!
Okay, but there’s still soccer, football, ballet, and when in the world can you find time for creative play? Take time for creative interaction. Yes, it is important that your child’s team win the next game and you should be there to cheer for it. But setting aside a small space of time, even twenty minutes, to read, write and draw together will help you win his heart as a loving and trustworthy father who is willing to get to know him on his level and share a creative process with him.
THE MESSAGE IS THE MENTAL MASSAGE
Life goes on, children grow up fast. Appropriating those twenty minutes once or twice a week will change the texture of your lives. Yes, it will be difficult to keep them away from their video game and texting friends. But soon his message will be clear: “I just want to spend time with you.” No sermons, no admonitions, no scornful talk, just the time we spent together on a small project figuring out what both are made of without the roles of father and son to play. One night, try this. Turn off the TV. Turn off video games. Sit down with the children and make up a story. Just a simple little story. And then everyone draws it. Pass the drawings and talk about the drawing, without criticism, without disparagement, just talk.
Okay, everyone is yawning, I know. But that will happen if you repeat it next week and the next. You’re going to start having a good time. It can be a bit scary at first. It is not a video game or television. It’s just you and the kids. Do not worry. Soon, you will discover some things about yourself, familiar things that soccer and ballet fail to fulfill. Like who are you as interrelated human beings, what do you think of each other and how, without any competition and bad mouth from anyone, you can look at each other and admire each other for who you are.
THAT NICE CREATIVE SENSATION
Do you remember how you wanted to paint an oil painting? Do you remember the drawing class you took in community college and you love it? Remember the creative things you’ve done, like finding the right knobs for your kitchen cabinets, installing low-wattage lighting around your entryway to dramatically illuminate trees and shrubs, or making that silly birthday card for your child, because simply couldn’t ‘Find one that’s correct? You got a warm glow from those projects, right? Well.
CREATIVE TIME FOR YOURSELF
Take some creative time. Well, currently your private time is between 10:30 and 11:00 at night, when you can read some pages of that novel that you have renewed three times in the local library and then collapse. Take advantage of YOUR OWN creativity twenty minutes once or twice a week. Decide what you will do during those twenty minutes. Draw, paint, write? Connect to your creative mind, not for the boss, but for yourself. Remember your favorite childhood places and pictures. Write or draw on them. Enhance your life with colors through pastels or acrylic or oil paints. Discover the magic of media and artistic skills. Sit down with a sketch pad and draw the plants in your house. Make a cake from a picture of your neighbor at your last New Years Eve party (it was so much fun, wasn’t it?)
It will take a month or so. After these creative times, you will feel the domino effect. It is a pleasant sensation caused by instructing your conscious and subconscious to be creative and delve into the parts of your brain that give you a feeling of being healthy and well balanced (even wisdom!). Then increase those minutes. Aim for twenty to thirty minutes a day. The domino effect will be more like a positive tide of good feelings, tapping into the powers of your mind that have been dormant for too long.
personal improvement, creativity, family enrichment