Comments (3)

By Little Mummy, April 19, 2007 12:29 am

How to stifle your creativity in ten steps over at lifehack is a good template for how not to stifle your kids creativity.

Discourage Fear

Discourage fear in your kids, especially fear of getting it wrong or being ridiculed. Encourage ‘giving anything a go’. Don’t pass your own fears and misgivings onto your kids wherever you can help it. Reminds me I really need to let Erin go it alone a bit more in the cruising/climbing and investigating deapartment.

Accentuate the Positive

When they are struggling remind them of a time when they achieved something by trying again and again.

Don’t Plan Their Days To The Last Second

A hot topic at the moment, how many activities are too many activities? When there isn’t any time for free play!

Encourage Individuality

Let them know it’s ok to be different. It could be this that helps them say no, when their friends are all saying yes later on!

Try Something Different

We all like to focus on the things we are good at, but trying new things is important. Rotate the toys, visit a different park, take a different route, there are opportunites to learn in every new experience.

Don’t Be The Dictator

Encouraging kids to make good decisions for themselves is what we should be aiming for. It’s pretty easy to dictate their every move, but, eventually they will be teenagers and we are going to need to rely on them to make their own decisions, I think I’d rather start early and encourage good decision-making before the decisions involve drugs, alcohol and other such teenage activities nudge..nudge..wink..wink.

Encourage Questions

Questions show that they are thinking about their world. The constant why’s are serving a purpose, remember, they are starting out with no knowledge whatsoever, it’s no wonder they have so many questions. So stay calm and answer as many as you can.

Follow Up On Ideas

Encourage them to follow up on their creative ideas and thoughts ie “Mum, this would make a really cool……” take that washing up liquid bottle and help them make that rocket, then encourage them to make a rocket launcher…. This has two benefits, being able to follow through on ideas, and love of learning, think about it, they will probably need to research what a rocket launcher looks like before they make one!

Ask Their Opinion

Make them feel important and worthy of an opinion. Even seemingly inconsequential things like “should we buy green apples or red apples” can be important to kids who are living in a world where they have very little control.

Challenge

Encourage them to challenge themselves, even if you think they might fail (unless it’s dangerous), failing is something we all need to do so that we learn how to bounce back and achieve success next time. You never know they might just surprise you and themselves by achieving success the first time around.

Thoughts welcome…..

Comments (1)

By Little Mummy, July 6, 2006 11:33 am

Well folks, I’m pleased to announce to you some breaking news.

Slowly but surely consumerism is being overturned by the new wave of creativity. Hand-made beats machine-made hands down and now you can get involved too. Think about what you do best…

Here are a few ideas from get rich slowly on how to become more creative and maybe even make a little extra money on the side. Making money instead of spending money will make you happier and is more of a challenge. So give it a try.

Here are just a couple of the suggestions at Get Rich Slowly

Knitting – Knit. If you’ve been bit by the knitting bug, put that yarn habit to work. Create simple, beautiful hats and scarves. Take commissioned projects. My wife is learning to knit adorable little stuffed animals; she could sell them for $20 a pop.

Cook. Do people rave about your food? Offer to cater events. Provide food for a picnic, for a cocktail party, for a sit-down dinner. Sell cookies and cakes.

You could also;

Produce hand-made cards, soap, candles, or coasters.

Sell your old things on an auction site, and other people’s too.

Make flavoured olive oils, lemon, chilli, garlic – sell them at craft fairs.

Stop spending and start earning. Are you making money from a hobby? Let us into the secret.