Why is it that many child prodigies end up failing in their areas of expertise? Or abandoning them for other activities and pursuits? So often, when children are taught at an early age that they are special, whether it be in the field of arts, academics, or athletics, they become prone to the idea of success and victory. Becoming accustomed to success may lead children to feel as though they deserve success, and due to this, lack motivation to continue putting effort into their area of ‘expertise’. One of the worst possible things to see in children is a slow regression into losing motivation to try. Effort and hard work are integral in helping kids grow into motivated and hard-working individuals, who do not give up easily, nor do they lose sight of their dreams.

The argument lies that success is more often than not fuelled by passion. Passion is hardly ever something that is taught or enforced through diligent practice and upbringing, but rather something that is discovered through curiosity and personal interest.

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Creativity isn’t something that can be forced onto children. There are no specific rules or tips to follow to ensure children focus on expanding their imagination and creativity. On the contrary, allowing your children to follow as little rules as possible will allow them to develop a wider imagination, and become more in-tune with their own creativity and mental capability. In an increasingly competitive world, being skilled in a particular field no longer guarantees a job or success; rather it’s creativity and ingenuity in otherwise regular fields of work that often yields great success.

The best way to foster creativity in children is to allow them to think for themselves. Children who are disciplined while encouraged to think for themselves and make decisions based on their own thoughts and interests tend to become more creative as adults. Freedom and individuality of the mind is integral, not just in developing characteristics, but in helping instil a sense of individuality and uniqueness in the child at an early age.  

This sense of individuality will not only help children find their own interests and passions at an earlier age, it will help them respond to life’s challenges and opportunities in their own unique way.

For example, some children may cope with stress or uncomfortable situations by expressing themselves artistically, through drawing or writing, and others may prefer athletic options. Allowing children to discover their own coping mechanisms and reactions to different types of situations at an early age is largely impacted by how rigidly their parents enforce their ideals upon them.

Copyright: ISchmidt

Step One: Back Off

There is also the argument that the more pressure a child faces to succeed, the less they will enjoy the activity at hand. Since enjoyment is integral in motivating the child to put forth effort and dedication to the activity, the more pressure they face, the less they will want to perform well in the activity, in turn veering them much off the course

Research has found that most children who grow up to be creative adults, from fields of music, art, athletics, even science, weren’t forced to follow strict rules and directions from their parents. Of course, rules and discipline are an important aspect of raising children, and should not be neglected, but they also shouldn’t be so diligently enforced by the parents that the child is left with no freethinking capacities at all.

If you want your children to bring original ideas into the world, you need to let them pursue their passions, not yours.

Everyone wants the best for their child: for them to succeed, be ambitious, and not give up easily. This desire for the wellbeing of one’s child may often overpower the consideration that a child, although a child, does have the ability to discover their own interests and passions. Even at an early age, children are incredibly curious and are constantly exploring different things and activities they have interests in.

Copyright: Jaromir Chalabala

It’s important to remember that you can’t force talent. You can encourage it when you see your child displaying interest, but forcing your child to excel in an area they hardly care about will only result in wasted efforts and money. The best possible course of action is to allow your children to explore their interests at their own pace, and encourage a sense of direction and commitment when they display interest in a specific field.

After all, children are children, and their malleable and easily influenced brains may easily pick up on their parents forced sense of direction, but such actions will only teach them to follow the path set by them, and rid them of developing a sense of control and leadership of their own life.

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Parents are extremely influential as they are the ones who need to provide the environment for a child’s creativity to flow. It is up to parents to  spark their child’s creativity and encouraging curiosity.

Why creativity is important

Virginia Shiller, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and author, says:¹

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In a society in which it seems many parents are focused on children developing skills as early and as fast as possible, the value of creativity can be ignored.

As parents, it is essential that children have the following experiences:²

• Downtime: Stress is a creativity killer so it is important that children take a break from constant homework and their busy lives to give their brains a chance to relax. This time could be used to nap, daydream, read or walk.
• Failure: Of course parents don’t want to see their children fail, but it is important for children to learn from these experiences. Research shows that when we fail, we learn more than when we succeed.
• Playtime: Letting children play with props and make up pretend stories is one of the best ways for a child’s creativity to grow.

How to raise creative children

The following are great steps to take in order to best raise a creative child. Some of the  steps may not be easy, but it is the duty of the parent to do the following for the sake of  the child:

• Let them make mistakes: This goes hand-in-hand with experiencing failure. Children who are afraid of failure are less likely to think creatively.
• Embrace a mess: Don’t let your need for a clean space take over when your child is in their creative element. The creative benefits are much better than the temporary mess.
• Be open-minded: Your child’s creative thinking may not be in line with yours, but that doesn’t make it wrong. Encourage your child to think independently and be flexible with their ideas.
• Give them space: Step back and let your child’s creativity flow free without you impeding on their creative zone. A child that feels he or she is under surveillance may be less likely to take risks, thus diminishing creativity.

For more ideas on how to welcome more creativity into your home, read these 52 Creative Ideas for 52 Weeks of Fun from Crayola.⁵

• 1 http://www.babyzone.com/kids/preparing-for-preschool/inspiring-creativity_73550
• 2 http://www.parenting.com/blogs/mom-congress/melissa-taylor/how-raise-creative-child
• 3 http://www.creativitypost.com/create/ten_suggestions_for_raising_creative_kids
• 4 http://www.crayola.com/for-educators/resources-landing/parents-and-teachers-as-partners-landing/creative-parenting.aspx
• 5 http://www.crayola.com/for-educators/resources-landing/parents-and-teachers-as-partners-landing/52-creative-weeks.aspx
• Featured image:  http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mwMRpge/Children+playing

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