Most of us have experienced the sensation of being moved to tears, or laughter, or fear, through a can’t-put-it-down book. Entertainment aside, the many and varied benefits of reading are widely documented and include everything from increasing empathy in readers to boosting intelligence to improved sleep to stress reduction.
Sometimes we put so much emphasis on our children’s achievement and progress in one or another core academic subject (language arts, maths, science, social studies) that the importance of participation and achievement in complementary subjects (art, music, languages, physical education) may be undervalued.
Let’s face it, life gets hectic, so the idea of setting up an elaborate art space for your child seems like a lot of work - not to mention a lot of housecleaning (plus a lot of colored markers without lids strewn dangerously close to your white walls!). Don’t worry, I’m not here to detail how to build a state-of-the-art (pun intended) art space for your child. I am here to provide you with tips that are no fuss, no muss! The key to introducing art to your child is to start small and keep the process simple.
Remember your first coloring book... the first time someone mentioned, “you need to stay within the lines, sweetie” or mentioned with surprise, “oh, I didn’t know that trees were pink!” We nurture arty children from day one to try to fit in to conform to what we consider correct. We subconsciously nudge children to discover what is normal - all in pursuit of possibly having a child prodigy artist in the family.
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