Creating Colorful Children in a Washed Out
World
by Michelle L. Nelson
January 2, 2011
* * * * *
Assignment: Casually observe a group of children. Choose the place and time. What do you see? Well, I will tell you what this mom and
former preschool teacher sees MOST of the time.
I see children so absorbed in their (insert newest cool electronic
gadget here) that they wouldn't notice a parade if it marched through the
living room. I see teenagers wasting
hours upon hours on (insert new video game here), sitting on couches eating
Cheetos and mentally blocking out all outside disturbances -- including fire
alarms, parental yelling, and pizza delivery.
I see children surrounded by so many toys and treats that they couldn't
make a choice if their little lives depended on it. I see...GRAY.
Now...before
you think that this is going to be a preachy article, I will let you know that
my kids are guilty of a few of the above infractions. BUT...unlike a lot of other permissive
parents, I don't let my kids wallow in the pallid palette that our society
deems acceptable. Brain-free activities,
like the ones mentioned above, are allowed in moderation in our home. Down-time, as it were. Being a responsible and loving parent should
dictate that we do not allow society to raise our children; however,
well-meaning parents who simply either want their kids to "have what they
never had" or "have what EVERYONE else has" are doing exactly
that. Toys, treats, and technology do not replace parental involvement and
creative, inspired play. Oddly enough, children appear to come
programmed to do exactly that --
creative, inspired play. How many of you
have had the experience where your child, after having received the Toy Of The
Moment, would rather play with the box it came in instead? And what do we do? Throw the box in the trash and push the
electronics and artificial lights and colors.
MORE gray. And it starts with
infants. My children span the ages from
21 to 11 -- and I will tell you that there was not HALF the junk out there with
my first as there was with my last.
Our
ancestors, even back to the pioneer days, MADE toys and fun from what was
around them -- based on the traits and interests that they observed in their
children. Mostly out of necessity, since
people back then had little money. But
if you think about it, how is that really different from today? Girls were usually given homemade dolls and
dad-made dollhouses, boys wooden toys and sports equipment, and then they were
given an amazing gift...their parents said, "Go outside and
PLAY!!" And guess what? They did just that, creating their own fun
and games from their imagination. And
their world....COLORFUL and imaginative.
So,
if you are reading this and thinking, "guilty as charged", what can
you do to inspire creativity in your children?
I have a couple of ideas that have worked for my family that I am
willing to share with you that are pretty simple. Ready for that rainbow? Here goes:
1. Buy lifetime toys. I am NOT insinuating that you go out and
break the bank on expensive, "natural" type toys; I AM asking you to
look at your purchases. Think back to
when you were little, or your older kids were little. What were your/their favorites? I have managed to save a lot of toys from my
childrens' childhoods that populate my toy closet, and I am now a grandmother
to a beautiful 3-year old girl. Which
ones does she gravitate to most? The
twenty-year old toys her father played with. Blocks, Legos, puzzles, a small toddler tool
bench, play food, a doctor bag...and that really cool red-and-blue octagonal
Tupperware sorting toy that I think EVERYONE had in the 70s. I HAD ONE TOO. And it is now making a 3rd generation of children
happy. And creative.
I
unfortunately spent some time on bedrest with my second child due to a bout of
pneumonia. My oldest, then a toddler,
made my days on the couch a little more bearable by fixing me lots of play-food
picnics and doctoring my owies with his little black bag. We colored, sang, made Play-Doh dinosaurs and
fought with his Ninja Turtle figures.
YES, we did watch a few videos -- but mostly when I was ready for him to
go down for a nap. Toy suggestions for
creative play: blocks, Legos, doctor or other career kits, dress-up clothing,
action figures, play food, clay, art supplies, etc. The goal of the toys listed here is to
INSPIRE colorful play, not BE colorful play.
The difference is with my suggestions, the child is part of the equation...with
the electronic junk, they don't even have to be in the room. It's always the same. GRAY, and probably loud.
2. Enjoy quality playtime. I know, I know. You're busy.
Notice what I said -- QUALITY, not quantity. I am not saying quit your
day job to play with your kids. What I
am saying is to make the most of the time you do have with them. LISTEN to them -- you will learn their
interests, and that will inspire future activities. WATCH them -- you will notice what is fun for
them, and what activities they absolutely hate.
Mostly, LOVE them. This should go
without saying, really. I know a parent
who basically FORCED their child to take a certain type of lessons form a very
young age. It was painful to watch the
child fight, struggle, and be punished.
My friend, frustrated and at the end of her rope, asked me why her child
did not enjoy this activity -- because SHE certainly did when SHE was
little. My simple response to her: "Because she's not you." Part of facilitating creative, inspired play
for your child and bring color to her canvas includes removing YOUR crayons
from the box. Allowing your child to
explore and create on their own, with your guidance and approval, will open up
whole new worlds to them. And, in the
process of creating THEIR picture, they may surprise you and add a few of your
own colors...when they are ready.
Get
down on the floor with your kids. Color.
Paint. Build a fort (my own father used to bring home refrigerator cartons and
craft elaborate, spy-worthy mazes...). Play the villain or the princess, or the alien
from outer space. Sleep out on the
trampoline under the stars. Build a
birdhouse. Have a lemonade stand. All of
these ideas (and more) that are colorful and inspired also teaching moments
that will allow your little adventurer to use creative ideas to solve
adult-size problems someday.
3. Be flexible and supportive. What your child likes today, they will
probably not like tomorrow. Or two hours
from now. Creativity requires change,
not only to your actions, but also to your thoughts and plans. When I had my first daughter (my fourth and
last child), I had a fleeting thought to put her in vocal classes and acting before
she could even walk, because that's what I enjoyed when I was younger...and
then I remembered my interaction with the parent I spoke of previously. I did NOT want to be this type of parent (and
I surely wasn't with my boys), so I made sure did normal, age appropriate
activities with my girl -- even though I SO wanted her to be a singer. Music was always
a part of her formative years, with my singing activities, church hymns, and
the stereo (always on in our house) -- but it was more of a background track to
her daily activities than the theme song.
Library storytimes and preschool classes led to more involved activities
of her own choosing -- cheerleading, gymnastics, tee ball, ballet, art,
etc. She never really found her
niche...until a fourth-grade choir class caused her to find her voice --
LITERALLY. And it was a beautiful voice. She suddenly wanted vocal lessons AND she
wanted to try out for a play! Happily I
encouraged this, and she has enjoyed her growth in performing probably almost
as much as I have enjoyed watching her shine.
However...I have made it clear to her that if it is no longer fun or
enjoyable, she can change gears. It would
be hard for me to accept -- but in order to allow her to grow creatively, I
have to accept her choices and continue to support her on her journey. Inspiration and talent are nothing without
motivation and support. It is our duty
to provide the latter to our children as they work to find their creative niche
in life. THEIR life...and this is
something we as parents must remember and we give them their wings.
I
hope I have made you think. maybe even look at things through rose-colored
glasses. Like I said, I have learned it
is never a good experience to tell people what they should be doing, although I don't mind sharing with people what
they could be doing. Part of creativity and inspiration is sharing
ideas, after all. And that's what this
site, Inspiresy, is all about. After
all, I'm not preaching...I'm singing. Singing with a joyful heart that my children
have a world filled mostly with vibrant color brought about by creative,
inspired play that started when they were much too young to recognize a
teaching moment (snicker). And that,
gentle readers, has inspired me to set up a playdate with my granddaughter as
soon as possible. I'm feeling another
owie coming on, and maybe her daddy and I can teach her the proper way to make
a play food sandwich. Taste the
rainbow? You betcha.
