Why exposing your child to the arts is important
The arts (Art, Drama, Photography and Music) are gaining somewhat more interest when it comes to subject choice for high school students. However, there is a long way to go before they are recognised as “equals” to subjects like Maths, Science and Biology. While these respective subjects have their own merit, the arts subjects are often looked down on as being less important or useful for future career paths. Schools and parents can place a lot of pressure on students to excel in the sciences, so much so that often the arts get forgotten. This while these subjects can unlock wonderful opportunities for a child with an aptitude for the arts.
Regardless of whether your child chooses one of the above-mentioned subjects or not, there are several developmental and social benefits to embracing the arts from an early age, including:
Increased cognitive development, language and fine motor skills
The right side of the brain is used for emotion, perception and creativity and this often neglected side of the brain can reach new heights given the chance. Motor skills, language development, problem-solving, learning a visual language and being able to express their thoughts in a whole new way are just some of the other benefits.
Exploring their interests, strengths and the world around them
In their early years, kids are still figuring out their likes and dislikes and where their strengths lie. Letting them experiment with art class one term and drama the next will help them discover what they enjoy and will further expand their minds. Taking them out to the ballet, theatre, opera or art house films will go a long way in showing there are ways to learn about the world from outside the classroom and can lead to interesting and challenging conversations. Of course, this can be a hit or miss as many kids might not immediately find art house films or the ballet particularly appealing, but it’s always worth a try.
The potential for an exciting career path
Should your child develop an interest in the arts and want to pursue an arts-related career, be open to discussing the viability of this and the pros and cons of this career path. Today, careers are more fluid than ever before, for example, you can combine film and business to create a profitable enterprise, like a production company. Although many jobs might not require creativity per se, they will require thinking outside the box and have an understanding of the world and the way it works, therefore the arts can come in to play even when it’s least expected.
Becoming a more multi-dimensional adult
An application for the arts means your child will become a more multi-dimensional adult, even if they don’t pursue a creative career path in these respective fields. Shared experiences over cultural activities, like an art exhibition, will expose your child to different races religions and stories and they will come to respect and understand those that are different to them more deeply.
By exposing your child to the arts you are equipping them to recognise there is a world outside of their own and they’ll learn to respect and embrace the fact that we are all blessed with different skills and the arts don’t require less effort (or brain capacity), just different kind of thinking. Art isn’t always black and white and their view of the world doesn’t have to be either.
You might want to read more about how you shouldn’t limit your child’s potential based on their gender.
