mom & son

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Pablo Picasso

 

Springtime is the season for new life, new beginnings. Winter has given way to shedding of the old and the newness of spring. How is your homeschool aligned with the change of seasons? Are you stuck in old ways of doing things? Likely, when you decided to educate your children at home, your only concept of education was that which you learned going through 12 years of the public school system. As parents and educators, we need to be mindful not to bring the “old ways” of the public school system home. We must be open to the beauty, wonder and flexibility that homeschooling makes available to our children and capitalize on that potential. Otherwise we are simply repeating the mistakes made in the public school system at home.

The example of springtime is a wonderful metaphor to illustrate the growth potential children have when they are educated at home. Many public school systems today are under serious budget reductions. Typically, the first programs eliminated in these expense cutting exercises are music, drama, dance, poetry and art. Even if the programs remain, public schools emphasize general knowledge rather than specialized knowledge. Has anyone considered how cutting art will affect their future?

The children of today will be retiring in 2065, and no one has a clue what the world will look like in five years much less in 2065. It’s more important than ever to educate the child as a whole, and children naturally have a great capacity for innovation. By allowing the creativity to flow we are giving them their full potential to unlimited possibilities to the future they face which we will never see.

Art is a powerful way to unlock creativity and engage the whole person. Our human culture is rich and diverse as shown by what we fill our world with: music, dance, architecture, design, practical technology, relationships and values. That is the real world. Shouldn’t we be raising and educating our children with an education that is as rich and diverse?

The freedom of homeschooling allows you the freedom to give your children the space they need to be creative and flourish in that creativity.

Now let’s explore three ways to allow it.

1. Find more creative ways to allow education rather than being limited to curriculums, textbooks and worksheets. With An Inspired Education we have a core of academics necessary for education excellence that also allows exploration for individual interests. Each child is encouraged and supported to explore as many different mediums for creativity as possible.

2. Give them time and space. Einstein said, “Boredom is the highest mental state.” Allow time in your schedule for the children to really get into their choice of art. Let them have their music, dance, paint, writing or even building something from junk. Whether you deem it useful or not, we must allow them to express themselves to grow into their own genius. Trust the process.

3. Get comfortable with natural disorder. Anytime we engage in a creative act we immediately create a mess. When we cook we get out a cookbook, utensils, food and dishes. It’s no different working at your desk, cleaning out a closet or any home project. It’s all perfect and necessary as natural disorder gives way to something great. Giving your children a place where they can be creative without worrying about the mess propels them into inspiration to create, learn and grow.

What can you do today to encourage creativity in your children? Consider them each as a whole person, as the hope that they are, educating them so they can face their future which we will not see. Empower them to make something of it.

“Creativity is as important as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.”  Ken Robinson

Think peace, live love.