Creativity is one of my all-time favorite topics! Creativity is essential for the growth of our in our society and it’s important that we foster it in our children.

When you hear the word creativity, what comes to mind? For many of you it may be your child making a drawing   or acting out moments that ooze of imagination. The reality is that creativity goes far beyond the arts and can be integrated into just about everything!

Let’s start by defining creativity. According to Wikipedia.org., Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new (a product, a solution, a work of art, a novel, a joke, etc.) that has some kind of value.

Creativity is becoming more and more important in today’s workforce. Employers are looking for problem solvers that can think outside the box and be creative enough to bring their own solutions to the table and then work with others to navigate through new and unchartered waters. By having the tools to travel through uncharted waters, it allows companies to have a competitive edge.
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The thing is, when does one learn to be a creative person? Can one just decide upon entering the workforce that they need to start thinking more creatively?

So, do any of you have children that are afraid of the dark? Or monsters? Or dogs? Fears and anxieties are natural in childhood.

Everyone, whether a baby, child or adult, at one point or another feels fear. Feeling anxious can be especially uncomfortable because this comes with the feelings that one needs to escape now, and fast! Your heart might beat quickly, your body might perspire, you might get butterflies in your stomach. Anxiety is no fun. Not for adults or for children. Anxiety is defined as ‘apprehension without apparent cause.’ That means that often when we feel anxiety, there is no immediate threat to a person’s safety or well-being, but the fear seems real. This is important to keep in mind if your child runs into your room due to the monsters in the closet. Rationally, you know that there is no monster in the closet. They may be trying to believe you, but their anxiety may make them feel otherwise.

For this week’s episode we are going to look at kindness and compassion. We have so much going on in our world today that we must wonder whether we are forgetting the importance of basic principles such as kindness and compassion.

Sometimes, children can be mean. Yes, they can be very mean. This is not cute, this is not a sign of maturity, and this is not acceptable. I want to be blunt about this, because when we don’t encourage kindness and compassion in children, we have to remember that we are creating teens and adults that lack kindness and compassion as well.  If we want to have the type of nation that is built on Christian principles, we must teach our little people how to do this.
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Firstly, the key to raising a child who demonstrates kindness and compassion is to begin by training our minds to notice kindness and compassion. Yes, the minds of us as parents. When we notice it, we can praise it. This encourages more of the same behavior. Kindness and compassion can seem like abstract values to children, so noticing them allows them to tie real life behaviors to them. Often, we notice the bad behaviors more than we notice the good behaviors. Bad behaviors get highlighted, and good and kind behaviors get no attention. 

1. If you could trade places with anyone in the world, who would it be? Tell how your life would be different.
2. If a donkey could talk, what might it say about living in the TCI?
3. If you could rule the school for the day, what would you do? Give examples.
4. What is the best gift you ever received? What made it special?
​5. If you could be a TV star, what show would you be on? Why?

1. Write a letter to your 5 year old self.
​2. Write about five blessings in your life.
​3. Write about a quote you try and live by.
4. Write about your life in 7 years.
​5. Write about someone who fascinates you.