Uncategorized Parenting
by gleefulblogger

Ignite the Creativity – Let them go wild with Imagination

April 10, 2018
14
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Ignite the Creativity in Children

‘Creativity is Intelligence having Fun – Albert Einstein’

Skill based education and skill development are quite viral now-a-days. Even our Central government is running skill-development institutes to enhance skills in youth. What is Skill based education and creative activities all about?

We often pass our judgement without realizing the details on skills, intelligence and creativity of a child. My child dances well, she is born talented. He is math Olympiad winner at age of 6, born intelligent. To be precise and as per many researches, both the above given statements contradicts by subject experts. One can still acquire skills and creativity even if not born with required intelligence. Creative activities in children open horizons of growth and opportunities.

Intelligence is – “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.”

Creativity is – “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness.” Source Wikipedia

Solving a mathematics sum efficiently is intelligence but trying to solve it differently is creativity.

Creativity is need of hour today –

The way today education is progressing and evolving, we are leaving traditional ways and methods behind. Teachers and education system is focusing more on skill-based knowledge. We are heading towards skill economy/market. Make-in-India is the most successful example of skill-set generation. Creativity brings newness and market is open for such ideas. It helps in opening new paradigms of opportunity for everyone. Make people flexible and adaptable to changes.

Being creative doesn’t mean you ONLY have to think ground-breaking or world-shattering ideas. “An IDEA can change the life”. IDEA’s tagline explains it well, but what it really means in real-time is break the monotony.

How do I bring creativity in my child?

Firstly, it cannot be fed into the child. Secondly, do not paint the entire picture by same brush. Every child is unique, so is their ability to learn and process information. However, creating an overall environment help boosting child’s creativity.

Educational Toys

Education toys ignite the creativity in children, as it poses them with situations in most engaging way. Children try to find solutions of given problems but not the conventional way. STEM activities give better understanding of concepts in children by applying knowledge. S.T.E.M is science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Learn more about Educational Toys here.

Do not force children to ‘be-creative’, engage with them

As mentioned above, we cannot feed child with something which he/she is not accepting. You as a parent can bring an array of activities to bring interest in kids. Reading, story-telling, puzzles, rhyme games, play-doh, there are many fun activities to have fun together. Accept and respect your child’s wish and do not force them into it.

Find out ways to Encourage creativity in kids here.

Keep your expectations realistic

Since my very first post of #gleefulparenting, I have been focusing on this point – Keep the expectations real.

Children are already bombarded with many activities and studies in today’s super competitive scenario. Do not add misery to it by raising bar of parental expectations.

Encourage them for skill-based activities

teach children creativity

Encourage children to adopt a creative habit, dance or music, instrument or reading. These activities break monotony of school and studies. Help them de-stress from monotony. Appreciate their involvement in mind games like crosswords, Rubik-cube, sudoku, Jenga.

Ignite the creativity in children as thinking minds are also happiest and healthiest.

This post is written for #BlogchatterA2Z series by Blogchatter, and my theme for this challenge is Gleeful Parenting. Previously from the series –

G for Guilt free parenting.

H for Housekeeping.

COPY-WRITE NOTICE –
@Dipika Singh Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dipika Singh (Gleefulblogger) with right and specific direction to the original content.
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Kind Attention Please – Act of Balancing

April 12, 2018
14

Kind attention parents –

Parents of grade 1 children please wait in the reception area. The class coordinator will address you soon.’ The announcement was made by school staff and we waited eagerly to be addressed by the primary class coordinator. Excitement is palpable on each parent’s face, as kids have just graduated from pre-primary to primary schooling.

Within few minutes the coordinator arrived and she briefed us about the procedural changes from grade 1 onwards. I was quite enthusiastic about the whole transformation when she mentioned ‘reading’. Yes reading four pages from school reader daily.

‘What four pages daily?‘

‘How are they going to read so much?‘

‘This is too much to expect from such small kids.‘

‘Come on they are just 6 years.‘ All were petrified by this rule from the coordinator, including me as I know she has nil interest in reading.

‘Looks like there is no other way to it; let’s get them in the reading mission’, a friend concluded and I fervently nodded knowing it is going to be a gigantic task for me.

Mommy on Mission Reading

Over the time I had gathered dozens of interesting books for her, which does not interest her at all. Wonder why? I love reading, give me a nice book then I do not need anything more. Father’s genes may be at work, he hates reading too. God knows how he braves my articles!

Anyways, we sat down with the mission to finish one page at a time. We started with easy words and then sentences. To my surprise, she knew all sounds, phonics, and some blending too but had no interest in reading. Concentration span is just 10 minutes when it comes to reading, you give her math, writing or art-book she won’t budge for hours. So what is the problem? Her interest, books or something else.

child development

Find the Snag and Fix it –

I was in the middle of a telephonic conversation when she interrupted me, I gestured her to be quiet. She did not budge; kept on pulling me & disturbing. Irritated by such confusing commotion, I discontinued my phone and asked her “What is wrong with you!! Can’t you see I was on phone?” Dispirited she looked at me “Mumma I read the whole page, which we were doing yesterday“, and retrieved to her room. I felt a pang of guilt for being rude to her, but did she actually read it whole?

In the evening when husband arrived we discussed what happened in the afternoon. She was busy playing with her building blocks, darn she made such good buildings. ‘Beta, I pray you become the top architect and make a beautiful home‘, I playfully quipped.

‘Yes, Mumma I will make a big house and we will live on the sea-side.’ She replied with glee in her eyes.

‘But sweetheart WHY don’t you read well? Even teacher has asked you to read, read and read.’ I probed a little.

‘You only keep saying I don’t have any interest in reading all the time, so I do not like reading.’ She replied with such ease and my eyes popped out in a blow.

Gottcha! said her dad and left me all on my own to think and introspect.

Pay Kind Attention to your words

Parents influence children the most and any impression, a reaction from us affect them seriously.

Choose your words wisely, they have power to make or break anyone.

In the above scenario, I never wished her to lose interest in reading. But my statement, which I inadvertently used to describe her interest backfired badly. She made an opinion about herself, based on my impressions. Which is not true at all.

So we started working on to reverse the damage. We sit with our own books in hand daily, she reads her and I read mine (read pretend). Slowly we are making this a habit and turning a negative impression into a positive one.

Happy reading everyone 😉 Parenting ain’t easy my friends, we rise and fall but we all learn together.

This post is written for #BlogchatterA2Z series by Blogchatter, and my theme for this challenge is Gleeful Parenting. Previously from the series –

I for Ignite creativity.

J for Jumble Bumble.

COPY-WRITE NOTICE –
@Dipika Singh Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dipika Singh (Gleefulblogger) with right and specific direction to the original content.
right parenting

Information Overload – Parental Guidance

January 4, 2017
8

‘It is not Information Overload; It’s filter failure’ – Clay Shirky

Daughter came to me with a sheepish smile and asked timidly- “Mom where do kids come from?” Well I know most of us have faced the same situation when kids ask such questions, even after been told a million times. She is grown up, hence the ‘angel sent you‘ does not fit here any more. Plus their over working, hyper rationalizing yet tiny (in mom’s opinion) brains are getting smarter. In school children learn about Animals & Babies as early as from nursery or kindergarten. But when we reason them with our own funny theories of child-birth, we actually end up giving their over creative brains an extra load of work. To comprehend what the teacher and mother has answered.

I played safe here and asked her – What did your teacher tell you about this? Her shy smile and eyes on my tummy – saved the session and I replied – From mommy’s tummy! Well, thinking that my answer sufficed the matter we moved on. But NO!! Here comes the twist – now I was attacked by the isotopes of questions, one after the other seeking to kill peace of my mind. Specialists call it curiosity when kid search newer opportunities to nag their already haggard mothers (pun intended)!

Patience is the Key – Balanced Parenting

Several questions bombarded at me, one after another –

What did you do mom, to bring me out from your tummy?

Where was papa when I was inside you?

What will happen when I will get a baby in my tummy?

My sane mind was in a turmoil, restless and confused with so many things to answer. Thought of seeking an expert opinion I called my Mother in law. But she snubbed me with her over the top conclusion- my kids never bothered to ask such stupid questions! ‘Uska dimag jyada chalta hai?‘ (Generation Gap!) Wondering if something is wrong with my approach as a mother, I turned towards Google. The Ultimate answer to all Questions.

Think, Plan & Proceed

My search over internet brought huge pile of information. Reading from many well researched articles, learnt about child’s sensory behavior and rationality. A child’s brain growth and how it communicates with their overall behavioral stability. The connectors are called ‘synapses’ which are the neural pathways for flow of information. In laymen’s language one should not snub the curiosity in child’s brain as it will have a negative effect on their growth.

But as a mother my clash is how much to censor and what to share with my baby? The dilemma is how much information to provide to such innocent but over curious minds? I remember a random social media poll on – DO YOU CHANGE YOUR TELEVISION CHANNELS WHEN INTIMATE SCENES COMES? Reading the reactions from other mothers, I realized its just not me who is confused and divided. We all are at some point of time in our parenting days.

Going back to the social media poll – many mothers shared their opinions. Some have answered in YES with reasons; but those who gave NO as reply have strong notion of providing natural human physiology to children.

Balanced Parenting –

Children are exposed to plethora of information today, be it in school or at home. We as providers, nurturers should act as Natural Filters for them. What goes inside their overloaded brains processed and amplified manifolds.

Educating about good touch or bad touch is very critical, but sharing details of birthing process at such young age! Is this correct? This dilemma also made me introspect – are we following right track of Parenting? Read Are You On The Right Track Mom?

Editor’s Note – Right Side of Parenting

There is no wrong or right parenting style, we all have our own ways and designs to sail through this ocean. It teaches us many things, while we bring these little humans. But what I truly believe as a mother is – Right time and Right amount of information to be shared with kids.

  • Always decide what needs to be shared with the child.
  • Information must be segregated in smaller groups with live examples.
  • Be ready to handle tricky questions; and never shy away from curious brains.
  • Do not be JUDGMENTAL – You ask so many questions? Why do you want to know that? Don’t ask such questions! Refrain from such statements.
  • Be patient; give time to sync in the information in children.
  • Avoid scorns & exclamatory remarks.

After a candid discussion with my child over the topic of ‘Child-Birth’, sticking to my goal of providing answers to only what suits her age and brain. She was content and so was I.

 

© Dipika Singh.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dipika Singh (Gleefulblogger) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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