Parenting benefits from creative thinking. We are constantly asked to solve problems, find new ways of teaching and supporting our child. Yet these skills are seldom taught, the moment we become parents we should somehow transform and learn the answers to billions of questions.
Parenting books are packed with advice to guide us in this task. Blogs and Pinterest are filled with creative ideas about how to support and teach our child different skills. But how do you get ideas? How do you teach yourself and your child to think creatively?
The word creativity may be difficult to define and part of creativity is a mysterious process. But other parts of the word include skills that can be taught. There are ideas like freeing ourselves from the inhibitions that may arise from the need to give the right answer at school or at home. We become afraid of making mistakes or to seem ridiculous. You can use techniques and methods to get new ideas and to find new solutions.
Ways to get ideas for things to do with you child:
- Use ideas in blog posts and search on Pinterest for inspiration and transform the ideas to suit your child
- Pick a subject that your child likes
- Select a random word or picture
- Use the random word/picture to get some new ideas.
Let us say that your child likes to jump. You picked the random word table.
- Try to describe the word and extract ideas.
Tables are square, round oval. So maybe you can draw shapes in different sizes on the pavement, or use ribbons on the grass and encourage your child to jump into these different shapes. By using this method and not copying someone else’s ideas you make sure that your child’s interest are taken into account. You also model a creative approach to getting new ideas and solving problems. An exciting and fun way to spend time together looking for new possibilities.
Go here to look at some inspiration and ideas on Pinterest.
