Sacred Parenting - The Eighth Sacred Key

                                         THE EIGHTH SACRED KEY - CREATIVITY

The Importance of Creativity
Children can help to create the expansion of the soul. The parent learns about adaptability, patience, compassion, acceptance, letting go of judgements, forgiveness, being in the moment, play,  laughter etc.
Very often the parent has to reach 'outside the box' that is stretch their imagination in order to make things work as well as have a fun-loving day.
Creativity is to do with the imagination and nurtures spontaneity, joy, freedom, passion, delight, good health, laughter, concentration, brain cell production, self-worth, confidence, internal balance, spiritual alignment and contentment.
Creativity puts the joy back into life as the soul expresses itself in an unconditional way.

Creativity begins with finding ways to get your baby to respond spontaneously to you as you communicate through talking, whispering, singing, tickling, massaging, play peak-a-boo. Yes, this is you being creative - thinking outside the box. As you play more and more with your child your child`s imagination starts to expand and imagination is needed for the child in the future to feel self-worth, to be able to problem solve and to be able to cope in the world.
The use of bright colours and moving mobiles teaches the baby about colour, form, movement and variety. The baby is already stretching his imagination (& brain cells).

Play = creativity
Hide and seek, dress ups, story-telling, reading books, playing in the sand-pit, building with blocks, building cubby houses out of cardboard boxes (can get the children to paint on them flowers,doors,windows etc.) or sheets over tables, charades - what am I? -  acting out an animal, I Spy With My Little Eye, dressing up dolls (can be hand painted butchers` paper dresses) etc. etc.

Painting, decorating, craft = creativity
Finger painting,  making serviette rings by painting, or sticking fabric, on sliced toilet roll insides, making Xmas decorations, sticking bits of coloured paper on a diary, notepads, picture frames - THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX (and cover or paint the box whilst you are at it). Making macaroni necklaces or daisy chains.Collecting sticks and binding them to make little stick figures.
Creativity is a form of play and is a brilliant way to get involved with your child. I still make Xmas cards and presents for my grandchildren and really LOVE receiving homemade presents from them even though they are now 14 years old! Their presents are a unique expression of them and is always from the heart. My delight keeps their hearts warm also! LUCKY ME.

Home is Where The Heart Is

A simple little bit of cardboard with a heart that had been cut out of butcher's paper and stuck on top of the blue paper that was covering the cardboard. On top of that was stuck with sticky tape another bit of gold wrapping paper cut into a star. What a fabulous little gift.

Splashing, or sticking the finger in non-toxic water based paint, onto a notepad makes such a colourful statement and you can always find it! Your child is very proud and feels worthwhile, happy that you respect his expression and gift, and feels a huge sense of achievement and confidence. You get a warm heart!

'Imagination is more important than knowledge'                      
                                              Albert Einstein

Without imagination there would be no joy
Without imagination there would be no inventions
Without imagination there would be no solutions to problems
Without imagination there would be a meaningless world
   
Imagination is the first step in creating anything

Kite Flying High

When playing and creating please give your child a free reign in expressing him or herself. Once the rules re paint / clay / sand / paper / string / clag / sticky tape are set then enjoy what happens next! If you tell the child to change this or that, or that this would be better, then you have squashed all traces of self-worth, excitement, spontaneity, achievement etc. ENJOY HIS OR HER UNIQUE SELF EXPRESSION. Each child is different and that is how they are meant to be.

Up, up and away
Kite flying high

Paper kite making, and decorating or painting, can be great fun. Good for flying, good as a mobile - maybe you could make some little ones, paint them and hang them up as a mobile in the nursery?
Older children can also have loads of fun expressing themselves making kites at the same time (to help decorate?or as gifts).

Crafty Christmas Gifts
Turn the TV off. Constant TV watching robs us of creativity. Be creative. Have fun. Stretch the imagination. Live a little. Your soul will benefit and so will your children`s souls.

Xmas Party Hat

Maybe give Grandma a photo of bubs with a baby footprint on the other side of the card? Use non-toxic paint though. Maybe cover a Diary or make some ragdolls out of your old dresses. Maybe cover a lampshade with string, buttons and plaited brightly coloured material.

Mia with her Bamboo home-made bike

Everyone loves home-made gifts. Think of what the person likes, and what their character is, as it is no good giving a nylon apron to someone who is earthy and organically minded! That special time, thought and energy put into a personal gift really hits the warm spot and doesn`t cost much. All you need is a bit of imagination.

Mia`s Mum used her imagination and cut some of our bamboo to make this gorgeous bike out of bamboo so that Mia could have a bike whilst traveling in Australia. Isn`t it a beauty!

Everyone actually is creative - it is our birthright           
Take the plunge. Step into the unknown and at the
same time rediscover the joy of your inner child
Stretch your mind and nourish your soul.

Your children will be inspired as their imagination expands and hopefully they will have the time to be more and more creative as they grow through childhood.They will feel safe exploring unchartered territories with their minds and in their lives. Confidence and happiness goes hand in hand when the soul is free to express itself.
Creative spontaneity and the appreciation of beauty, nature and the Arts, gives us the much needed balance in our lives and a balanced life helps us achieve our full potential.

Bring the colour into you and your child`s life
Play, create, laugh and relax
Think outside the box
And into a bigger reality

Here`s to creativity and fun
Cheers and love, CMW