A principal in Singapore had great foresight before his students exams and decided to write a letter to his students parents in an effort to remind them of the importance of each child. Their unique gifts, talents, skills and passions. We don’t hear it often, but grades are not everything. Grades are a metric that define the success of one objective outcome but not the success of a new outcome, or a passion or pursuit that may not be tied to grades at all.
As parents and grandparents we can often forget this message. We forget that getting good marks is only one aspect of childhood and performance. There are a lot of unearthed skills, talents, passions and creativity that bloom within young minds that often go unnoticed because of the stoic environment and rigid structure of the school system.
One such principal in Sinagpore recognized this with his students and their parents and decided to write a little reminder to their parents before the exams were taken.
This is what the reminder said..
This caught notice and got a lot of buzz online. The post went viral and many people shared it all over Facebook, and understandably so. This message is not often noticed and often goes unheard.
5 Ways To Identify A Childs Creativity
There are various ways to identify a child’s creativity and skills and encourage them. Here are five potential strategies:
- Observe their hobbies and interests: Children tend to engage in activities they enjoy, and often these activities showcase their creativity and skills. Observe what your child likes to do in their free time and identify the talents and skills they demonstrate. For instance, they may enjoy drawing, writing stories, playing an instrument, or building things. Encourage them to explore these interests further and support their development in those areas.
- Ask open-ended questions: Ask your child open-ended questions that promote creative thinking. For example, ask them what they would do if they could design their own video game or if they could create a new toy. These types of questions can stimulate their imagination and help them think outside the box.
- Encourage experimentation: Creativity often involves trying new things and taking risks. Encourage your child to experiment and explore different ideas, even if they don’t always work out. Praise their efforts and help them learn from their mistakes.
- Provide opportunities for collaboration: Collaborating with others can help children develop their creativity and social skills. Encourage your child to work on projects with friends, siblings, or classmates. This can help them generate new ideas and learn from others’ perspectives.
- Celebrate their achievements: Celebrate your child’s creative achievements, no matter how small. Display their artwork or writing, attend their performances, or share their accomplishments with family and friends. Recognizing their efforts can boost their self-esteem and motivate them to continue exploring their creativity.
The greatness of a child is not solely identified by their marks in school. Some of the most successful entrerpeneurs and creative geniuses dropped out of school beacause they saw no use and wanted to pursue this creative pursuit with all of their time and energy.
And remember, the next time you feel like scolding your child or not recognizing their greatness, read these words:
Dear Parents
The exams of your children are to start soon. I know you are all really anxious for your child to do well.
But, please do remember, amongst the students who will be sitting for the exams there ls an artist, who doesn’t need to understand Math… There is an entrepreneur, who doesn’t care about History or English literature… There is a musician, whose Chemistry marks won’t matter… There’s an athlete… whose physical fitness is more important than Physics… if your child does get top marks, that’s great! But if he or she doesn’t… please don’t take away their self-confidence and dignity from them. Tell them it’s OK, It’s just an exam! They are cut out for much bigger things in life. Tell them, no matter what they score… you love them and will not Judge them.
Please do this. and when you do…watch your children conquer the world. One exam or a low mark won’t take away…their dreams and talent. And please, do not think
that doctors and engineers… are the only happy peeple in the world.
With Warm Regards
A big shout out and thank you to Russell Brunson for originally sharing this: