Reading time: 8.50 min 

Hey 👋  - Hello, there!! 

"Adi don't start your day by playing video games, work on your project", I told him but I don't want to be that assertive mother.

I want Adi to be happy and do what he loves, but I also encourage him to be conscious of how he chooses to spend his time. I don't want him to get lost in a world of consumption, where he's passively consuming entertainment instead of creating something meaningful.

It's a delicate balance, but I think it's important to encourage our kids to be creators, not just consumers. In a world where they're bombarded with constant advertising and marketing, it's easy for them to get caught up in a cycle of buying things they don't need.

Adi always mentions that he enjoys to code and making games.

"I like making things too", I tell him. "It's important to use our creativity to make things that we're proud of."

I share how I spend time writing articles and creating designs for my work. I tell him about how gratifying it is to see people interact with something I created.

"It's important to use our creativity to make things that we're proud of."

That helps him understand that his time playing video games isn't wasted if he's using that time to be creative and make something new.

It's not easy being a parent, especially when you're trying to raise a creator. You want them to follow their dreams, but you also want to make sure they're doing something that will actually lead to success.

Adi and always have these pep talks whenever he's feeling down about his productivity or when I'm feeling anxious about his future.

We discuss how spending the early part of the day on creative work can set the tone for the rest of the day. We talk about how it's important to find a balance between work and play.

How can you help kids find the creator in them?

Encourage them to set aside time for creative work each day- The time boxing method by Nir Eyal really works when it comes to creative work. Help your kids set a specific amount of time each day for creative work, whether it's coding, drawing, or writing. This will help them develop a habit of being creative every day.

Help them find their passion- If you're not sure what your kid is passionate about, ask them what they enjoy doing in their free time. What are the things they're always talking about? What are the things they're good at? Help them find their passion and then encourage them to pursue it. Notice what they are really good at and what they love to do. Some kids just love to tell stories, they can write or record them. They can engage younger kids in these stories too.

Kids need pep talks too- Just like adults, kids need pep talks from time to time. When they're feeling down about their work or when they're struggling with something, have a discussion with them about it. Help them see the situation from a different perspective and encourage them to keep going.

If you want to read the full article on this topic, find the link at the end

Adi has been writing a story and designing illustrations for his own picture book this week. Kids can be really involved when they are the author of their own books. Adi read his story to me and there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Adi used Canva to create all the illustrations for his book.

Canva can be a great tool for design and illustration if you don’t have access to Photoshop or other design software. It’s simple to use and has a lot of pre-made templates that can be easily customized.

With designing, he is also learning to think about

Font selection

Alignment

Colour and theme

Balance

And other design concepts that will help him when he creates his own illustrations. He has been exploring making characters using geometric shapes. Designing is a process and I think it’s important for kids to be exposed to different design software and concepts if this interests them.

If you have a kiddo who likes to design, illustrator or tell stories, why not encourage them to use Canva to design their own picture book? It’s a great way to get kids engaged in the creative process and they will love seeing their work in print!

I will share his work as soon as its get ready. 

Bonding over Speech preparation 

Do you remember preparing a speech for school? It was probably one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of your young life. But it's also one of those defining moments when you realize that if you can get through this, you can pretty much get through anything.

Now imagine being a parent and having to help your child prepare for a speech. It can be just as daunting, especially if your child is shy or doesn't like public speaking. But there are ways to make the experience more positive and even fun for both of you.

It was a little different for Adi because he had to make a video for submission where he had to speak about education.

It's common these days to create videos and talk about specific topics. Children see a lot videos these days, so they're used to the format. And because it's not live, there's no pressure of performing in front of an audience.

This also gives you, as the parent, a chance to be more involved in the process. You can help your child choose a topic, do some research together, and even act as the cameraman or editor.

of course, it was not new for Adi but what was different this time is that he had to talk about his personal views on education and how it has helped him so far.

We then went on to talk about what his video would be about, how he would go about it, and what kind of feedback he would need from me.

We drafted a speech together and he practiced it in front of the mirror

I gave him suggestions on where he could improve and we worked on those areas.

The best part of the whole experience was when we were recording the video and he would make mistakes. We would just stop and start again and he would laugh at himself.

If you want to read the full article on this topic, find the link at the end

cheers, Priyanka

Watch this speech by Cole Blakeway