Supporting Your Talented Child: How To Spot And Nurture Your Child’s Talent
Every child is special and talented although, some kids are not as opportune as others and often, the talents get unnoticed or the child loses interest. However, when a talent or interest is spotted in a child, it is our jobs as parents to create great opportunities to nurture and groom these talents.
Having a talented child doesn’t mean he/she won’t be brilliant or might hate school, it just means they are more passionate about their creativity. Talented kids have different learning needs from other kids and they are often adventurous, always ready for games, social activities at school and sports.
How Do You Spot Your Child’s Talent?
Be Observant, never ever force your interest, profession on your kids. You might have had dreams of becoming the best artist, footballer, or writer in school but you were never able to fulfil your dreams. This doesn’t mean your kids would have an interest in the same things. Sit back and observe the things they are fond of doing or talking about. Spotting your kids talent takes time, your kids could develop an interest in several things at a time because of school activities and what they learn from their peers. Take an interest in the activities they enjoy doing and give them time to explore their natural abilities.
More so, instead of comparing your kids to other kids, find out what your kids love to do. Your kids do not need to be in a music club because your neighbour’s child sings best in school, or because someone scores all the goals at the soccer club. Avoid pressuring your child to be like another child. Encourage your child to do what they love and be the best version of themselves.
How to Nurture Your Child’s Talent?
The saying, “Talent is built not born” is somewhat not true. Some kids are naturals, some are born with melodious voices, some are naturally funny, some are naturally skilled at drawing and with constant practice, they become experts at doing the things they love. Even the current celebrities that are the best, put in a lot of time and practice before they could come on stage. No child loves to be compared or forced to do things against their will.
Embrace the kid you’ve got: every child has got that big thing they dream of. When your child shares their dreams and interest with you, instead of telling them what to like, we all have big dreams for our kids, but it’s important to recognize every child is unique with their ambitions, desires, and goals.
Appreciate your child’s generation: things have changed, your generation is totally different from theirs. Technology has made things easier and kids no longer dream about being an engineer, doctor or lawyer. Schools have also made things easier, several social and creative classes have been created for kids to explore. You could implore your kids to join the ballet class, tech class, art & craft, music class when they develop interest.
Encourage Expressions: if you allow your kids to be themselves and express their imaginations, you could easily spot a talent. What does your kid do in his/her leisure time? What does your child do when he/she is back from school? Or on weekends when all the assignments are done? If your child develops an interest in dancing, singing, drawing, talking, painting, you could encourage him/her by getting materials, instruments and toys that could enhance play and practice.
Set them free: in as much as your kids develop an interest in several things, you do not need to sign them up for several classes at a time. Sit back, observe one or two activities they love and stick to it till their interest is diverted again. Kids love the freedom to explore and the best way for your child to discover their natural talent is to be free and adventurous.
Don’t expect too much too soon: Rome wasn’t built in a day and not even the top artist got all their awards in a day. Of course, a lot of hard work and practice was done over the years. These days, we see talented kid authors, artist and even designers that discovered their talent at a very early age, this doesn’t mean your child will be the same. Give them time, support every stage and achievement, give words of encouragement and do not give up when things don’t go the way you want them to be.
Don’t be selfish: parents sometimes mix up their children’s fame with their selfish interest. You need to understand that your child’s interest and talent is not about you; it’s not about what you like or what you are passionate about. You shouldn’t force your child to do things because of the benefits or the things you would gain from it. These days, parents are fond of pushing their kids too hard on trendy stuff. What if the child isn’t even interested? What if your child likes something else? It’s not wrong to have big dreams for your child but try not to impose things.
Know when to push and when to hold back: In as much as trying out new things or signing kids up for classes are a great idea, you need to know when to push back and give it a break. Your kids are growing and you can’t control how they develop or lose interest in things. When you keep forcing your child into things they are no longer interested in, it can lead to low grades at school, anti-social behaviours, depression and your child could start using harsh words and giving nasty attitudes. Kids could get discouraged when they find out some things are too difficult or too challenging. It is your job as a parent to encourage your child and spot when they have given up on something.
Make Your Home Creative: this is how you support your creative child. Be spontaneous, provide the things they need to explore. Create a small area in your home for play and decorate it with colorful items.
