Encouraging creativity in children during the pandemic

This captivating portrait was painted by my 8 year old granddaughter Jayla Grace. Her mom purchased her new painting supplies and turned her loose. Jayla and her brothers were homeschooled prior to the pandemic and were always encouraged to express themselves artistically. At age 6 we noticed Jayla had a gift for drawing exact replica’s of people and images. Her granddad and I kept our home filled with paper, pens and magic markers.

We encouraged Jayla to draw and color on a regular basis and she creates the most beautiful cards for birthdays and special occasions. We congratulate her on a regular basis and praise her for her artistic abilities. It’s important to identify the strengths of children and not allow them to be lost because of the pandemic. Be careful not to push children into areas that you believe are best for them. These are the days of homeschool and part-time school days without traditional offerings of arts, crafts, marching band, cheerleading etc. Do all you can to keep your children busy and fill in the gaps.

One thing I recommend to parents is to allow the child lead the way. Jayla loves to sing and even without music she is on key. She also is a semi professional ballerina. She enjoys singing and dancing as much as drawing and wants to do it all. We support and encourage her but do not push. Parents and grandparents cannot force a child to have talents which are natural born gifts. Either they are there or they are not. Jayla also loves to role play and pretend she is a super hero. Her talent for drawing is amazing because I continue to draw stick people and probably will not do any better. That’s OK I’m a writer and stay in my lane.

It is important not to over praise a gifted child in front of siblings. We celebrate each of our grandchildren for their individuality but do recognize that when it comes to drawing Jayla does have something extra. Each child is different and they should never be compared. This is why we encourage Jayla’s siblings in the areas where we see their talents lie. Jayla loves dressing up so every chance we get we indulge her in pretty clothes. It’s imperative to allow children to express themselves and grow into their own sense of style and extra curricular activities.

Jayla’s mom makes sure that her children walk on local trails and get plenty of fresh air which is beneficial for young minds. They also rode bikes and scooters and play in their back yard. Every precaution should be taken against COVID but it is a necessity that children benefit from the great outdoors. Jayla’s mom limits time on electronic game systems which is a good thing. Young people will not thrive staying indoors and playing with gadgets when they are not doing their schoolwork. Fresh air and sunshine will only boost their creativity.

Encourage but don’t demand results from a gifted child and be sure not to compare any siblings to this one. Teach each child that they are special in their own right and to celebrate their brothers and sisters. Jayla’s oldest brother is a teenager and into graphic novels right now. In his spare time he can be found in his room reading. My middle grandson loves working with his hands and enjoys making things with his lego blocks. This is what you will find them doing while aJayla is painting.