We often find parents, teachers or others correcting the child in the drawings or other things and don’t see things the way the child has perceived it. Remember the scene from Taare Zameen Par (Aamir Khan’s directorial debut) where the child is ask to narrate the meaning of the poem and how the teacher tell him that he is wrong. It is not our job to correct the creative flow and make them do the 'right' thing in, say, drawing or other forms of creative visualization. Young children perceive the world in their own unique way and need the freedom to express these perceptions creatively. We must allow them to explore, diversify and independently discover their world.

This process starts at a very young age mainly at playgroup level but sadly our education system ignores the creative aspect of the child. As the child moves on to high school, there is increasing pressure to conform to expected standards of output, individual differences and so much pressure on the child to excel. Often the sparks of talent and brilliance is snatched away by the system much before they even have a chance to fully develop.

Today the scenario is a bit different than the early times. Most educational institutions do mean well, but given the sheer enormity of numbers in our country. The demands of end-results, such as examination percentages, ensure that curricular are followed to the letter. There is little scope for experimentation as we force-fit our little square pegs into societal round holes. Parents can play an important role in bringing up the creative aspect of the child. It is important to understand that academic excellence is not everything that matters. Certainly, a basic level of competence is desirable but it is not the benchmark of the child’s abilities and interests in mind.
Criticism and comparisons to siblings/classmates/ friends can be corrosive and lead to self-esteem issues through childhood, right into the adult years. Research has consistently shown that realizing one’s potential in a chosen field directly co-relates to higher levels of self-esteem and happiness.

Make your child familiar to varied environments, activities and creative outlets right from their preschool years. This does not mean imposing hobby classes and activity sessions when the child is not really interested. Slow down, have faith. Let children explore and make their own discoveries at a natural, unmonitored pace.

Allow your child, the freedom of basic choices. For instance offer your child the choice between milk and juice to encourage simple decision-making skills. Similarly, let your child decide whether he/she would prefer to do an extra half hour of painting and forego television time, or whether to do math homework before or after geography. You clearly define the boundaries, but the space inside them can belong to your child. This way you are encouraging a thinking, decisive mind that will learn to make informed choices and engage in constructive problem-solving.

Expose your children to other ideas and ways of thinking. Let them know that there is a world out there, with people that think and act in ways that may be different from their own. Don’t get fed up with their questions. Let them flow.