Creativity

When most people think of kid's and creativity what comes to mind is construction paper and glue, art supplies, craft supplies, building toys, etc. This is all good stuff, but that's not exactly what this post is about.

Teach Children to Think Creatively

Life is an act of creation. Everyday we think, we feel and we make choices and take action. This process is what creates our life, it's what sends us in one direction or another. 

You can teach your children to just follow what everyone else is doing, or you can teach them to think for themselves and take control of their own life. To get along with others it is necessary to have a degree of compliance, but to be truly happy we have to become the creators of our own life.

In the beginning children are meant to follow, learn the rules, develop compassion for others, and experience a sense of their value as an individual who is an important part of a family and a community. Gradually, as the child grows they will encounter situations that confront their sense of security and challenge their understanding. This is where creativity can be learned.

Real Creativity is Unselfish

When I speak of creativity I don't mean the ability to cleverly figure out how to get what you want. Children don't usually need help in that area. What I'm talking about is helping children learn to think things through, to look at their thoughts and emotions objectively and consider all the circumstances and people before they make rash decisions or jump to conclusions. This will take time and practice.

It's important to gradually help children see that there are many choices in life and our choices produce a certain result. It's also important to help them realize that sometimes we don't know all the answers, and sometimes we can invent new answers. Encourage thinking "outside the box".

Real Creativity Unleashes Ones Inherent Goodness

Creative thinking gives a child the ability to explore their own mind, to come to know themselves and feel their purpose in life. Children are naturally creative, as all human beings are, and our job as a parent is to guide their creativity in positive directions without squashing it. 

When we see life as a creative process of our own unfolding, we come to truly understand our own value and the goodness we have to offer in relation to others and the world. Teach children that the only real thing they have control over are their own actions, and those actions create a result. 

We can learn how to control our actions by examining our thoughts and feelings non-judgmentally but still measuring them with our value system. Rules and values are important because they give a child the framework and structure to understand relationships and responsibilities. They also help a child become self-disciplines. But within that framework it's important for children to learn that there is an incredible potential for them to creatively develop their own life.