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www.FredParent.NET 29 EXPLORE A RANGE OF FORMS. Art has many types. A par- tial list includes dancing, singing, fine art (painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry), theater arts, photography, collage, film, printmaking, mosaics, crafts, and calligraphy. If your local school district has cut back on arts programming, see if you can counterbalance the short- age by joining a local cultural center or picking up classes through your local library or art supply shop. Don't be shy about asking about scholar- ship programs if costs exceed your budget. RELAX ABOUT mEssEs. Your perfectionism may cost your kids in creative growth. Artists often have to try something dozens of times before they get the hang of even a simple brushstroke. Adopt a practice-makes-proud attitude. If you notice your child craving space to spread out and practice work, try to create some. Make room for proj- ects to be spread out for several days or however long they take. Find nooks and crannies of your home that can support ongoing creative messes. Drop the pressure to immediately clean up after every sitting. Take good care of art tools but allow for a bit of creative chaos. TEST-DRIVE A VARiETY OF TECHNiQUEs. Within so many approaches to one art form, you will constantly face lots of choices. So why not let your lit- tle artist explore a variety of methods as deeply as she likes over time? For example, your local dance studio probably offers ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, acrobatics, and hip-hop. Within theater you will find plays, musicals, ballet, and opera. Within painting you will find oil, pas- tel, acrylic, watercolor, ink, and many more. Technique classes for kids can provide a solid foundation for more in-depth study later in life. BANKROLL dREAms GRADUALLY. Don't drop a lot of cash up front or you may inadvertently set the stage for, "You'll like it because I paid for it," which is always a lot of pressure. Go for low-commitment opportunities initially and then streamline along lines of interest as kids mature. For a dancer, you could start with tap dancing then add a new style each year according to her tastes and talents. If you expand as your child's abilities grow, your child will be ready for a more intensive level of par- ticipation around middle school, which often benefits kids at this developmental juncture. SEEK OUT APPROPRIATE mENToRs. Parents can't be everything to every child they raise. As kids get older, they need real-life mentors to help teach them lessons about living happily in the world. Kids benefit from having mul- tiple influences, beyond the usual teachers, coaches, and instruc- tors, who can stretch and challenge them in a particular pursuit. Explore apprenticeships, tutoring, or private lessons with safe, knowledgeable professionals who can serve as living, breathing examples of success. BANISH PREssURE. Creativity and pressure are like oil and water. They don't mix well in young children, who are more likely to benefit from variety and flexibility in self- expression. As a parent, strive to be that supportive, guiding presence so you can help your children make choices that are expressive and sensible. And while they are occupied, why not get out your own journal, knitting, or paints? Follow your child's example and you'll soon be busy figuring out what is in you that is longing to be expressed. 6 5 7 8 9 10