Let your children’s talent flourish, don’t pressure them
Watching children displaying their talents at an early stage of their lives is a great joy, especially for parents. But at such an age forcing them to do more than what is in their capacity does only psychological harm to them.
I have seen parents who make their child perform in front of relatives. For instance, the father or mother of a boy who is good at dancing would persuade him to dance in front of an audience. With this, the child may lose his self-esteem and abstain from practising anymore. This is an outcome of his fear that by practising again, his parents may ask him to repeat a public performance. This may result in psychological problems and lack of self-confidence later in his life.
Parents tend to believe that the child’s talent will thrive with this, but the real motive behind it is seek appreciation for having produced such a child.
The correct way is to let a child continue practising on his/her own. By doing so, the child will develop an independent approach to new and innovative ideas that will boost his/ her talent. The child will not fear what people might think. At a later point in time, when the child is confident of his/her skills, he/she could be asked to perform in front of a private audience or at a competition.
Likewise, if the child is good in creative writing then don’t rush to showcase all his writings to others. Let him do it himself. Don’t boast about your child’s genius in such a manner that equates him /her as an incarnation of Shakespeare. Such pressure might have a detrimental effect and even force the child to stop writing. Remember that it is called “creative” writing. Writing should come as a natural process when ideas overflow. This is a healthy way of dealing with a child and nurturing talent.
(Inner Voice comprises contributions from our readers. The views expressed are personal.)