Poetry is a much wider concept than most people may be aware.  The usual life of poetry is observed in poems, collected in books, gathering dust on remote shelves of the library.  It’s a terrible shame that poetry is so mistreated.  Even worse, the concept of poetry remains so narrow.

 

This column demonstrates that poetry can be a daily practice in everyone’s life.  Poetry is a way of living, breathing, thinking, touching, sharing and raising children.  The goal is to help parents guide their children to be creative, happy, and poetic young people.  Children are just like poems.  We need to study children and get to know them very well.  We need to understand their perspectives, needs and dreams.

 

The most precious time for poetic parenting is in the early evening when the whole family has returned from school or work.  Early evening is prime time, although television stations dominate quality family time with prime advertising.  Evenings are superb family time and essential in the development of creative children and family bonding.  The manner in which this time is used can make the difference in the long term emotional, spiritual and creative development of young people.

 

Creative Evenings

 

How much creativity goes into dinner in your family?  How much of the dinner hour is a mechanical routine?  For each of the following questions, answer which ones you think increase or decrease the creative and poetic development of children.  Write down the positive or negative effects of your evening schedule.

 

Evening Habits

Effect on Children’s Development

1.  The servant cooks, serves and cleans up dinner

1.

2.  Mom cooks, serves and cleans up dinner herself

2.

3.  The whole family participates in preparing dinner

3.

4.  Children are encouraged to develop cooking skills

4.

5.  The family discusses their feelings over dinner

5.

6.  The family watches TV during dinner

6.

7.  Family members eat separately

7.

 

Ideal Family Values

 

Assess your own family arrangements and brainstorm ways that can make your family closer to the ideal that you desire.  First, brainstorm the personal and social values that are dearest to you that you most want to promote in your children.

 

Values

Techniques to Promote Values

1.  Close family

At dinner, every member describes the happiest or saddest moment of their day

2.

 

3.  Creativity

 

4.

 

5.  Sharing

 

6.

 

7.  Self-Esteem

Each child is encouraged and supported in discovering active hobbies

8.

 

9. Health

Parents play sports or exercise with their children

10.

 

 

Poetic Practice

 

Values may seem abstract until they are applied in real ways.  It’s good to explain and discuss values, but it’s much more effective to practice the values day to day so children participate in the values rather than just listen to advice.  For each of the values listed above, plan one way that you can actively promote this value in your children.          

           

Poetic Awareness of Children

 

Dedicated family time accumulates over the years.  To calculate the need for poetic parenting, answer the following questions about your children.  These questions will reveal your sensitivity and awareness of the important young people in your life.  The more you can answer, the more poetic you are as a parent.  If you have trouble answering the questions, it may be time for more creative time with your children.

 

Questions for Parents

Answers

1.  What is your child’s greatest fear?

1.

2.  What does your child most want from you?

2.

3.  What does your child most want to change about self?

3.

4.  What does your child most want to change about you?

4.

5.  What does your child secretly dream about?

5.

6. What does your child secretly cry about?

6.

7.  What does your child need from you emotionally?

7.

8.  What does your child need from you intellectually?

8.

9.  What does your child hate about life?

9.

10.  Which feelings do you never share with your children?

10.

 

Family Portrait

 

As a final exercise, create a family portrait by using symbols to show the personality and characteristics of each family member.  Join the objects or pictures together in a creative family portrait.  Then, write a poem for each of your family members that shows your feelings and thoughts about them.