Fostering a creative child

What follows in this brief report is a review and reaction to a New York Times article about child development. While great strides have been made when it comes to knowing about child development and how to positively move it along, there are still new theories and ideas every day on how to react to setbacks and how to make the child development process even more advanced and positive for the child as they grow and learn for the first time. The article was indeed very intriguing and for a number of reasons that will all be described in this essay. While it is indeed possible to over-coddle and over-fixate on what is good or bad for a child, best practices and habits are what they are based on the current body of knowledge that exists.

The article chosen for this review and analysis was authored by Adam Grant. His main focus was how to raise a child that is creative. He first touches upon how many people like to focus on getting children to be good at math or having them listen to classical music at an early age. There is also the goal of instilling a foreign language in a young child. It is akin, to many parents, to "winning the lottery," as Mr. Grant puts it. Even with the focus on this, Grant asserts that very few child "prodigies" become adults that change the world, even if things go generally well for them. With that in mind, Grant focuses on children that become creative in light of what they are exposed to, asked to do and what they learn. So often, the gifted will conform to the norms and patterns of society rather than break out and make their own path. They will be much more likely to sidle up to a teacher and be the teacher's "pet" rather than going out on one's own and not being a "sheep." Grant notes that nurturing creativity and individuality is hard to nurture and grow and easy to slow down and inhibit. The main lesson that Grant imparts is this...back off. Parents seem to be entirely too focused on making sure their child flourishes and grows that they get in the child's way. Instead, they should observe at a distance and the let the child go the direction they wish to go, which is a huge part of them being assertive and having their own mind (Grant).

The author of this response and reaction has a mixed mind about what is being said in Grant's piece. For the most part, though, he has a point. First, parents should not allow themselves to harass, coddle and guide their child in a way that is excessive and clearly emblematic of a parent that is trying to live vicariously through their child. There are a number of reality shows with kids where this is prolifically bad and excessive. At the same time, some modicum of compliance and meeting of societal norms is actually a good thing. Indeed, being adversarial and confronting just for the sake of it is a silly habit to have. For example, a student should remain silent when a teacher is teaching. A child (or adult) that is listening to someone else speak should remain silent (and listen) until that person has said what they wish to say. At the same time, there is a balance. Staying in line with what others do and think can absolutely be taken to excess and this is not healthy for a child (or an adult) to do. Staying in a proverbial lane because of what others might think or simply because of what others are doing is something that leads to groupthink and lack of innovation. As with most things, it is a balance. There is a time for tact and there is a time to make some waves. A truly developed and mature adult knows when to do one or the other.