What Dead Poets Society Taught Us About Raising Children
Arguably, one of the ’80s most iconic movies, and god bless Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society was not only a great film but had extremely important messages that are still relevant for the children of today.
“Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits, and necessary, to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” While the noble pursuits here are not romanticised like the art of vulnerably expressing yourself, it’s important to remember that the highest achievers in medicine, law or business are all those with creativity.
Without creativity, you’re unable to push the boundaries and unlock a new way of thinking, a new way to do age-old processes. Creativity in any aspect of life is important, so are you allowing your child to learn the skills of being creative?
Albert Einstein once said, “creativity is intelligence having fun”, and we couldn’t agree more. While people may think, ‘I wasn’t born creative’ this is not true. From a child, studies from Dr Lindsay (University of Wollongong) have shown that parents can allow their child to explore, build and harness their creativity through these simple activities:
- Allow them to be bored. You don’t have to spend every minute entertaining them. By allowing them time to think for themselves, make their own fun, you are allowing them to be imaginative and teaching them to think strategically.
- Create. Art allows your child to self-express, release emotions and be creative. Let your child enjoy sensory experiences with paint, clay, and writing or drawing in art books. Make sure there is no pressure on what the final product will look like.
- Spend time creating with your kids. This could be Christmas presents, cooking, or teaching them how to use a new medium. These will be some of the most enjoyable moments of quality time your child will remember.
While your child might not be the next Picasso, they could be the next Zuckerburg if they are taught to use their imagination and think creatively. They could reinvent a product, or make something more efficient than it already is. They will be innovators.
Pinot & Picasso are selling Creative Kids Art Boxes which provide several activities and mediums for your child to start creating. With help from the NSW Government, parents in NSW with children aged 4.5 – 18 can redeem their Creative Kids Voucher to receive an Art Box worth $120 for free. With quality art supplies and on-demand art tutorials, allow your kids to be creative with Pinot & Picasso, because “ ideas can change the world” – John Keating, Dead Poets Society.