In your life and your children’s lives
As a coach, I have a deep interest in creative people. They inspire me and being in contact with their creations provides me with a sensory, cognitive and emotional experience. It is beneficial to my personal development allowing me to look at things differently and to be open to new perspectives and ideas.
I ask these questions to myself and some creative people in diverse areas:
· How can I best support you?
· What are your challenges and struggles?
· How can you make long-term plans in a world like today?
Artists and many people who use their creativity to make a difference in other people’s lives are not an exclusive cohort to have a positive impact on others. Leaders, speakers, researchers, volunteers, teachers, coaches, entrepreneurs and parents may feel they have an impact on others and create positive change in other people’s lives.
Lately, I have been more focused on my family and inspired by some amazing podcasts and books that made me reflect on all I know about children’s development, particularly focusing on their personal, social and emotional development and linking it with parents’ personal development.
This reflection led me to people who are parents who wish to create a positive impact in their children’s lives. This was my first source of inspiration when I decided to enrol in the Diploma in Transformational Coaching a few years ago and now seems to be regaining its original place in my professional development as a Coach.
Parents supporting their children’s thinking and creative skills
Parents and carers play an enormous role in supporting children in their thinking and in their creativity. Who in turn are growing and carrying in their luggage the best skills to put in practice all their creativity.
Aiming for the best for our children, as adults, we must look at ourselves too, at our experiences while growing up, what has been passed on to us, our perception of the world, how we reflect on it and how we are supporting our children to grow and develop.
In addition, being creative in supporting your children, doesn’t necessarily mean taking control and making plans for every single activity you can do as a family. Yes, family activity times are important, but I’m a firm believer, based on my own experiences, that creativity can be simplified if we give space, time, and resources for the children to think, explore and create!
Being present and letting your child create, you can offer the environment indoors and outdoors, the child can even decide which resources to use to support the interaction and creations. Let your child lead your interaction, conversation or play.
Being in the present moment, being mindful of what is happening with us, what is happening with our children, being present and attentive to what they say, think, and feel; being non-judgemental and deeply listening, not to advise or make assumptions, but to understand; are some of the key aspects we shall consider practising to allow the thinking process to blossom in a child’s mind.
Nancy Kline in the book ‘More Time to Think’ says: ‘If we are not present, we cut them off from their own best ideas and from their capacity to generate best ideas in the future.’ (p. 252, 2015) Instead, one of the actions we can take is ‘Be. Just be there. Be available. Your children will soon talk. Then they get interested and they listen.’ (p. 41, 2015)
Positive Impact of using Mindfulness and supporting a Thinking Environment
This whole process has a positive impact.
In many aspects the children and also parents will benefit from:
· Enhancing their positive relationships
· Raising self-awareness and empathy
· Facilitating interaction
· Having more significant conversations
· Developing understanding and respect for each other thoughts and emotions
· Creating a safe space for both to trust and feel trusted
· Encouraging new ways of thinking
· Expanding creativity
· Valuing each other’s uniqueness
This is not about what you want the child to be, not about you as a parent, it’s about the child being and doing concerning self and others.
As a result, you’ll have a more present, independent, creative, confident, expressive, collaborative and happy child.
From reflection to action
Take a moment, to think about these questions:
· What can you do with your child today, to create a positive impact on them?
· What can you do less of or say less of that will support your child’s personal development and support their creative development?
· What can you do today in your personal development that you know will have a positive impact on your child?
You may not find straightforward answers to these questions, as they may deserve more attention and exploration.
So, my suggestion is to offer you that thinking space, where you can explore these questions and relevant issues you may be contemplating, both related to your personal development, who you are and want to be as a parent and how that combination may best support your child’s development.
Please, feel free to get in touch via info@mafaldanovo.com to book your pro-bono session.
I would be very happy to hear your views on this topic, understand your challenges and support you to find powerful questions that will guide you to the answers that suit your circumstances as you move forward.
Mafalda Novo 16.03.2022
