Spirited Children

“Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.” ~ Marianne Moore
I have three children, all girls that are very spirited. What I mean is they have an inner spark that needs to shine. I believe children are born with this spark but often parents, teachers, and society dampen this spark in various ways. I am sometimes guilty of that but I try to give them opportunities to shine. How I do this is by encouraging them to be creative and trying new activities, especially in art, music, imaginative play and writing.

All my children have loved to draw from an early age. This has been a great way for them to express their thoughts and feelings when the words were not easy. They have made cards, told stories and compiled books through pictures. Crafts became another artistic outlet as scraps of things were combined into something colourful and lovely: fairies, clay pots, and picture frames. I often am begged to buy paints, paper, colour pencils and other craft supplies. I have also enrolled them in art classes, camps and other activities to promote their passion. Even though I love their artistic natures, I am often overwhelmed by the mess of this creativity in their bedrooms. Whether their passion will turn into a talent to be shared with the world or only for their own pleasure, I know it is a healthy endeavour to follow.

As they got older, words were added to their pictures and often became a separate enterprise of creating poems and stories. The drawing and painting often was done separately to the writing as they matured. My oldest daughter blossomed as she wrote stories and poems in school and at home. She was published in school journals and asked to read them at assemblies. She developed her own website with her writing as a highlight. This is truly her passion and may be in her future as a career. As an adult, she has a blog on crafting and gardening now.

My other girls are following her lead in writing for pleasure in their free time. They all love to read which has led them to a love of words - influenced by myself. As parents, we have set an example of the enjoyment of reading and educating yourself. A good reader often will become a good writer.

Music is something that has always been in our home. My oldest daughter listened to children’s entertainers like Raffi and Fred Penner on tape every night - it helped her to fall asleep. We would also play many different types of music on tapes and CD’s - from folk to rock to classical. In school, they all loved being in the choir and the band. My two oldest girls also joined the local youth choir. We eventually bought our oldest daughter her own flute and then an electronic piano for the younger girls. My middle daughter has now been in musicals and takes voice lessons. The youngest is now taking piano lessons. All this can be expensive so I try to pick and choose what we can do to encourage our girls’ musical ability. Music and playing an instrument is helpful to establish discipline and improves academic performance. It may just become a lifelong love of music, the ability to sing or play an instrument, or a career in music; it is all well worth it.

Some other creative ventures that my children have enjoyed are imaginative play, dancing, play-acting, and creating music. We try not to censure these things unless there is homework, chores, or meals to eat. I believe children need lots of time just to play and imagine on their own or in small groups. They do have some scheduled activities to do, but they have plenty of free time as well. They usually are found in their rooms doing crafts, writing stories, drawing, or creating and listening to music. The joy and intensity on their faces is wonderful to watch. I trust my daughters will make the most of this artistic lifestyle throughout their lives to uplift and sustain them.