You have your dreams too, that’s right?
Probably, until today you happily remember about the your high school music band you had rehearsal with in the garage, even if you are not today a professional guitar player. It really doesn’t matter if you weren’t play in front of a 100.000 people on a stadium.
The passion shouldn’t become necessarily a profession!
The passion shouldn’t be necessarily practical or entirely achievable!
There is not such thing as “ridiculous” related to passions.
The passions should be your intimate dream and have nothing to do with anything else but yourself and your heart.
It doesn’t have to be Picasso to paint beautifully and have a lifetime joy from it.
So, what to do to nurture and encourage our kids’ passions?
1. Start with the start
All the kids will come home with the desire to imitate some of the heroes of the day. Explain them that if they’re not pros overnight it doesn’t mean it’s a failure, all good things requires patience, work and time. As a parent, you should be happy that he has an interest in something and start finding solution to get them closer to their goals. Search for music classes or junior basket teams, depending on their passions.
2. Let your child be free
Don’t push them to hard or take control over his passion. If you offer excessive or not requested support, you will confiscate his entire identity from the process. Let your child be free. Children should be given the time and space to explore on their own, so they develop an understanding whether they want to pursue a certain path. Let them make mistakes, and if they still want to continue (if it’s realistic), then be an encourager.
3. Don’t mistake your dreams to your child ones
Some parents take this idea too far and push their kids so hard they lose interest in their passion. This is happening when a parent confounds his desires with the ones their child have.
4. See where his heart is!
Learn to look out for that tiny spark in your child: That spark could be the very start of something amazing. All the children have natural aptitudes or interest in some areas, maybe your child sings wonderful, or paint, or like to recite poems, or have a great flexibility for sports. Try with gentleness to show him more about the field he is naturally talented in. Buy theatre tickets, or visit art galleries together, or drop accidentally to see a gymnastic class. Don’t pressure the child and don’t try to take over the control.
5. Passion starts from home
As many areas you show them, as many options they have.
Try different activities like painting, theatre, music, gymnastics, math games, there are sooo many fun games options today. Try them all and, organize specific evenings, like cooking ones, or theatre at home, record them and show them to grand parents, or invite them to taste the children’s muffins.
It is such important to support their passions, because they will have their personal pleasure corner for their entire life!