Friday 17 January 2014

Creativity and children

Scene 1: A 6 year old dabbles in hand painting, making a mess of her study-table, spilling paints everywhere, staining her clothes. The mother enters her room and seeing the mess, shouts her to stop immediately and clean herself and the room as well.

Scene 2: Same situation. Just a little bit of difference. Here, the mother encourages her to try new patterns and the mother's hands are also stained with paints. After it's over, the mother along with the child clean themselves and the room.

Now, according to you, which child is more creative? I would say both of them! But that creativity will get nipped in the bud in the first scenario, whereas, the other child will be free to experience her creativity all through her life.

As mothers, we don't like so many things of our children!(their eating habits, their friends, how they spend time). But, instead of admonishing them, we need to take a step back, observe them carefully and ask ourselves 'Are they enjoying this activity?' If you get a positive answer, encourage them, maybe get involved for a few minutes. I'm sure they will cherish being together even if it's just fifteen minutes.

After all who is going to remember all that mess a few years down the line if a Picasso is getting trained at home?

Monday 6 January 2014

    "Children tend to imitate their parents, despite the teachers' attempts to teach them good manners." 

          I had long read this quote in Reader's Digest. Being a teacher and a parent, I couldn't agree with more. This thought came to my mind recently when I was busy with my daughter's Nursery school admissions.

          As is the normal case, forms are distributed, parents have to fill the forms (which run into pages - but more about that later), and then draw of lots take place. I was standing patiently in a line along with other parents to submit the forms and other documents. The final bell went off and the other school students were coming down the stairs so we had to move a little away. Suddenly, two ladies broke the line and came forward and were trying to accommodate themselves in the original line. Other parents showed their displeasure and complained to the authorities. One went back but the other one stayed put and she was shouting on top of her voice. That time I remembered this quote.

          Imagine you are coming to a school for your own ward's admission process. How you behave is a direct window to how you instill manners and etiquettes in your ward. If that lady could have waited patiently for her turn to come, I may not have recalled her, but by behaving in this way, I cannot at least forget her, that's for sure.
   
          So many times, a teacher is teaching children value education and traffic rules. She says, "Stop at a RED signal". Still, parents in their hurry to drop their children at school, jump at red signals. So when the teacher asks the next question, "Whose parents do not wait at a red signal?" I am certain that at least a few hands go up in the air. Are we not shaming our kids by behaving inappropriately?

          Parents are role-models to their children and then comes the role of teachers.

          So let us pledge that we as parents will be on the same wavelength as of their teachers.

Friday 3 January 2014

New Year Resolutions! - 2014

          Welcome to 2014! Warm wishes to all of you!
          A new year brings new hopes, new aspirations, new resolutions, new dreams into our lives. Speaking of resolutions, everyone makes resolutions at the start of the year. Then, they just fizzle out somewhere in the middle. But still, resolutions are made with a lot of thoughtfulness! Making resolutions is a good practice since it means we are ready to change ourselves for the better!
          So here are my resolutions for 2014. Although they are not in any order of priority!
  • To take up keyboard classes - my keyboard has been lying in my attic since my marriage.
  • To take up a new hobby.
  • To try to read as many good books as I can before the end of the year. Say 30 to 40.
  • To exercise regularly and stay fit.
  • Try to be a much calmer parent and a human being.
  • Find some me-time everyday.
  • Make people smile.
  • Continue blogging which was so irregular in last year!
          Let's wait and watch how many of these I am able to fulfill! Will keep you posted!