Dos and Don’ts: Keeping Their Creative Juices Flowing
by Jeannine Cook

By now if your child isn’t inventing some off-the-wall game out of pots and clothes pins, then perhaps he has turned your kitchen into some unknown world--only visible to his imaginative eyes. The common question around the watering hole in play group then becomes: as parents, how do we keep those whimsical juices sprouting from their fountain of youth without over-draining its creative resource or merely leaving it there to dry up? Here are a couple of dos and don’ts for your parenting checklist.

Do tell stories together and encourage your child to invent characters and plot direction

Do give your child simple toys, such as bowls or bean bags, and encourage him to use his imagination to give regular things a new definition (sometimes electronic toys can’t do that)

Don’t leave your child at home when you’re going to an art gallery, music festival, or play; teach him to explore the arts at a young age

Do take turns playing follow the leader
describe your actions in great detail and encourage your child to do the same

Don’t take play for granted
children use this time to learn about and from the objects in their environments. Adults should use this time to get to know their children

Do allow your child to safely play with grown up toys
such as still image and video cameras; teach him to create his own media without letting the media make him

Don’t place your child in front of the television
and allow cartoons to limit the direction of his fantasies

Do excite your child’s sense of smell
with oils and potpourri; look up the meaning of different perfumes such as frankincense or jasmine and spend time discussing them

Do allow your child to participate in your work
especially if you do anything that may be considered an art, from drawing and music to writing and interior design

Don’t exclude your child when you meditate and/or pray
while you are tapping into your internal wisdom, teach your child to do the same

Do allow your child to pick his own toys
let him tell you what he’s into without you having to guess

Don’t forget to ask questions and probe
into what your child thinks about the world, allow him to teach you because his fresh mind holds the answers to existence

Do figure out your child’s learning style
and create games that compliment and challenge it

Do READ,READ, READ
when choosing books for your child look for those that are both durable and inviting, encourage your child to chime in when hearing repeated refrains, but also read him excerpts from your books, you’d be surprised what he will retain