If you want to raise a creative child, you need to teach him to think independently.
Praise the child himself, not his actions
When your child draws a picture, do not say, “What a nice drawing!”. Instead, say, “You are so talented!” This will help him to realize that he is talented and unique and will encourage him to improve his skills.
At this early stage in child development, it is essential to show them what they do (and the way they do it) is right. That way, when they grow up, they will not lose their creativity, since this is an integral part of their childhood.
Do not overdo the rules
A few years ago, Boston College conducted a study comparing families with creatively gifted children with those without specific gifts. The results show that the parents of the latter had an average of six rules that they required each day – bedtime, homework time, etc. On the other hand, for families with more creative children, the rules were less than one.
If you restrict your child to too many rules, he or she will most likely have difficulty solving their problems in the future. They will look for conventional methods to overcome obstacles instead of trying to implement alternative or non-standard solutions.
Of course, this does not mean that there should be no rules. Excessiveness and freedom of choice are two different things.
Talk to your child
Another study shows that the parents of the most successful and original architects in the United States used the following tactics when raising them. First, they have outlined, generally, a plan that their child would like to follow. They then sat down and explained to him why such behavior was necessary. Also, parents left their children to choose their values in the context of their intended behavior.
When parents and children talk to each other, they have a chance to defend their opinions and try to find a way to solve a problem. This, in turn, will help them in the future to protect their positions and achieve greater success.
Such conversations help children think about the consequences of their actions – for themselves and others.
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