I have one son who loves sports, one son who loves to build, one son who loves to draw and a daughter who loves to dance. The sports and building kids are easy to entertain, but the artist in the family benefits from training that I can’t give. I don’t really have that artistic talent myself, so I had to learn how to support our artistic child.
There has never been a time when my son hasn’t been drawing I think he came out of the womb with colored pencils and a sketchbook in hand. Unlike his brothers who are more sports-oriented, he thrives in the mediums of pastels, markers, and paints.
For me, as a mom, that means that the ways I support him are different. Sure, there are things that I do to support them all, but knowing how to support my artistic child is just as important as knowing how to support my sports-minded children. Here are some of the ways that I’ve found to be the most helpful for him and for me.
Drawing Helps Child Development
Art has a lot of benefits: According to Kids Country, it mostly impacts these 6 areas
- Develops Fine Motor Skills
- Encourages Visual Analysis. …
- Helps Establish Concentration. …
- Improves Hand-Eye Coordination. …
- Increases Individual Confidence. …
- Teaches Creative Problem Solving.
How to I encourage & help my artistic child?
Get Emotional
One of the things that makes my artistic child different from his brothers is that he feels things in a different way than my other kids. I don’t know if it’s that he feels them more deeply or that he’s just not as afraid to express them. So, to support him, I make sure I praise his work often and give feedback on how I connect to his pieces.
I know it sounds a bit silly, but even saying something like, “Wow! I can really tell your character is feeling angry by the way you drew his eyes” or “The grass looks like it’s moving in the breeze, because of the way you drew the lines!” can make your child feel great and encourage his endeavors. Don’t be afraid to point out the positive!
Take a Trip to the Art Store
If you have an artistic child, a trip to the craft store is like a trip to the sports store for your athletic child. Take your artistic child to browse through the store every once in a while. If there are new product demonstrations, go to them! If there are free classes he can take, take them with him! Think of the arts and crafts store as his dream shopping trip.
Have Plenty of Supplies
While you’re at the arts and crafts store, pick up plenty of supplies to keep your artistic child stocked with the mediums he prefers. Have a wide variety of paints, drawing and craft supplies, and canvases for him to choose from. Support your artistic child with the tools he needs in order to create.
Sign Up for Classes
You wouldn’t expect your child to automatically pick up a musical instrument or become a star football player without coaching and guidance, so don’t expect your artistic child to flourish without some support. Look into classes in painting, sculpting, drawing, or whatever your child is interested in.
Since it’s not always easy to find such classes, check with local stores to see if they offer any or know of people who do. If your child is young, take the classes with him. Even if you have no interest in painting, the fact that you’re there supporting him in his interest will mean the world.
Be There
Be there for your child & offer help & support if they run into a problem. This helps them keep their passion alive & growing. Parenting is hard, but by focusing on the natural gifts and talents of each child, you’ll be able to support them and help them grow. Think outside of the box, get excited about learning new things with him along the way, and before long your artistic child will blossom. Support him with your words and actions – always.
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