Creativity Waiting To Burst Out Of Your Child's Growing Mind

Sometimes kids simply need an invitation to express their creativity. This is just part of being fully known. It’s a privilege to know anybody this closely, and one that parents are uniquely suited for, ordained as shepherds of their kids whether through birth or adoption. With screen diversions unavailable to your children, you will see with better clarity which natural personality traits you want to nurture in each child. Maybe you’ll spot character traits that could use a little work. This is another golden opportunity to help equip your kids to be successful adults. If one child is prone to bossy, overly talkative, or lazy behavior, do not despair! You are the caring adult entrusted with this worthwhile job. Remember, kids are human beings. And all human beings have the capacity to be annoying sometimes. You are raising future adults. This is a tremendous opportunity to take inventory of your children and determine how to love and redirect them as individuals. You have the honor of coaching your kids as they grow into productive, kind, and responsible adults.

Luminous Times

Does your son recite baseball facts like a walking sports almanac? Does your daughter talk your ear off about how she’s budgeting her piggy bank contents? Maybe she’ll host her own financial podcast. When a child has at least one caring adult in his life to redirect annoying behaviors and cultivate talent, he can soar to future success. Here are ways to optimize your digital detox, putting your kids in situations to observe the areas where you can help them grow. Assign a group chore. Put one of your kids in charge of a group chore. Give each a turn at some point in your detox. Watch how each child leads, how they troubleshoot problems. One child might turn the cleanup into a game for the younger kids. All the toys on your floor are spy devices. We have to disarm them and return them to the toy bin! Maybe a younger child will ask to play the cleanup song to motivate her siblings. Let them brainstorm ideas. You will be pleasantly surprised at their creativity.

That's What It Takes

You may run into a hurdle if your kids aren’t used to bigger chores. Again, this is an opportunity to be a student of your kids. Remind them that in a household of however many people, that same number of people are responsible for contributing. Then observe what aspects of each child’s leading style needs work. Do they give up quickly and need to grow in endurance? Do they grumble throughout the task? Do they get flustered easily when their siblings aren’t listening? These are lifelong skills, and we have the opportunity to assess and gauge where our kids need our help to develop them. You might be surprised at your older kids’ willingness to play these nostalgic games with younger siblings. Spend a few minutes covering game rules and expectations. It may require a lot of your patience and several reminders to get the game rolling. Every calm word you model for your kids during this time is invaluable. You’re teaching them so much more than how to play a game. You’re teaching them how to patiently wait their turn, how to be a gracious loser, how to tell the truth, how to appropriately value other people’s feelings. We have ended many a board game session with tears and frustration.

Running to Stand Still

If that’s you, it’s okay! What an opportunity to internally note each child’s blind spots so we can gently and lovingly redirect them. They will get it, even if it takes some work. Spread out on the lawn. Open a bag of chips and start reading. Read and watch your kids. Who sticks around longest? Who can’t sit for beans? Who asks a zillion questions? Who can’t get enough of Elephant and Piggie humor? But for the purposes of observing your kids, reading aloud is a great venue to gauge their interests and ability to focus, share, ask thoughtful questions, and participate in conversation. How can your future kindergartner succeed if story time is such a challenge? The investment will repay dividends. Take a few minutes to set your kids up with a chore or board game or outdoor activity. An observant parent and a slight nudge can reveal a treasure trove of creativity waiting to burst out of your child’s growing mind. As parents, we are given the task and tremendous privilege of noticing our kids and observing their strengths and weaknesses. It’s our job to steer them toward the right path, to equip them for life in the real world. None of these skills come naturally. They must be developed and cultivated. We can probably all think of an adult who we wished honed these skills as a child. Maybe they work in your office. Maybe one of them is an extended family member. Let’s give our kids the gift of a present parent as we coach, direct, and observe our children, measuring what they need from us to best grow into the adults they were made to be. You might be thinking, What if my child is constantly bored and can’t seem to think of his own ideas for playing independently? Which foods excite your child? Which cuisine is he or she drawn to? What topics does your child continue to ponder? Name a talent that your child naturally possesses. Put away a load of laundry, sweep and mop the kitchen, empty the dishwasher. Pick something age appropriate. Let older children delegate. How is everyone at group projects? Make note of how you can create specific jobs to practice the traits that need work. Celebrating winning, losing graciously, taking turns. Which areas of playing a board game are proving difficult for your child? With time and your patience, they can dramatically improve! Write down specific goals to improve. How long are attention spans? Can your child wait patiently for a doctor’s appointment, for a package to arrive, for a sibling at practice?