In the Moment Self-Expression

Parents Magazine's article on Why Art and Creativity are important speak to how we are raising Kasen. They point out that "Little kids are masters of the moment" and that "Most important perhaps, when kids feel good while they are creating, art helps boost self-confidence. And children who feel able to experiment and to make mistakes feel free to invent new ways of thinking, which extends well beyond the craft room."

We feel the same way. Kasen is free to be messy and creative as possible, when it comes to food or to play. We hardly restrict what he can eat, how he eats, how he plays. Case in point he loves dumping boxes of tiny pastas on the floor. A pain for me clean-up wise, but immensely fun for him - he pushes it around, gathers them up, dumps them again, etc. I've never seen him so enthralled for something so basic. Who needs toys, right?

Additionally we let him be as messy as he wants when eating. Much to my in-laws dismay, we let Kasen feed himself, whether it is through a spoon or his hands or just tipping the bowl to his mouth. I let him play with food, get the feel of different types of food, dip things, spoon things, fork things, play with ice, push food the the floor, throw strawberries, try hot and cold items, even try spicy foods when he asks for it so he understands cause and effect. He loves to squeeze his juice box and see the apple juice squirt out and play with the juice on the table or on the floor that it squirts on to. Again, a pain clean up wise but it helps him discover. I also believe the free play will help him learn how to analyze and problem solve in many ways - something that he is already learning how to do because of how we openly allow him to figure things out on his own - or learn from us as we show him how. I very rarely restrict any of it. While it makes going out to be a pain because he does make a mess, I hope that it makes him a more creative and free-thinking. I never want to constrain my kids, but understand the difference between nonsensical discipline just to exert authority and implementing necessary discipline when they are doing things that are a danger to their safety. I've seen strict disciplinarians for parents and I can't say that it always ends well. While it is purely an observation I've seen overly strict parents produce children that are only apt to break the rules more readily when they are older because they were never given any room to think outside the box and express himself freely. I want a happy, independent thinker who will be honest with me rather than defy me when he gets older. At the end of the day, his happiness is my first priority.

Here, we let him play with a regular plastic cup.

The full article is here:

http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/intellectual/why-art-and-creativity-are-important/?socsrc=pmmfb1401039