Seminar says parents often stifle the creativity of children
Seminar says parents often stifle the creativity of children
JAKARTA (JP): The people most to blame for stifling children's
creativity are parents who mistakenly perceive it to be
unruliness.
That is the opinion of State Minister of Population/Chairman
of the Family Planning Coordinating Board Haryono Suyono, given
in a discussion during a seminar on children's creativity on
Saturday.
Parents are eager to see their children be creative but
unfortunately they are ignorant of how to help their kids develop
their intellect properly, he said.
Few parents know that children need to express their
intellectual capability without feeling psychologically
obstructed by people around them.
Many parents will readily punish their kids for making
mistakes instead of encouraging them to try again and teaching
them to be responsible for anything they (the kids) do.
"If children felt unaccepted within the family... they will
develop an inferiority complex and children who feel inferior
cannot develop creative instincts," Haryono said.
The one-day seminar, titled Stimulating Children's Creativity,
was organized by the Nadhlatul Ulama Moslem organization and the
Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI).
Opened by Hasri Ainun Habibie, chairwoman of ICMI's advisory
board, the seminar was attended by about 250 people.
Haryono said parents unfamiliar with signs of creativity are
impatient with their kids' "strange" behavior, such as tearing
their toys apart and scribbling on walls.
"Don't punish the children, but tell them to be more careful
(with their toys) and responsible for what they do," Haryono
said.
Other speakers were S.C. Utami Munandar, a psychology
professor at the University of Indonesia School of Psychology and
Malik Fadjar, the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Director General
of Islamic Institutions Development.
S.C. Utami Munandar pointed out that children's creativity is
unique in that it is different in each and every child.
Basically, all children show creativity in different ways,
such as exploring the environment, asking many questions,
expressing curiosity, experimenting, and never getting bored, she
said.
In addition, she said, creative children have a strong
imagination.
Parents, she said, should give their children the freedom to
develop their imagination. "However, many parents think that
children waste their time imagining... it's not useful and not
good. In fact, imagination develops a child's creativity," Utami
said.
Parents and teachers who feel they always know better than the
pupils make it difficult for children to develop their
creativity, she said.
"The parents' and teachers' attitude determines a child's
creativity," Utami said, adding that parents and teachers should
always give compliments and encouragement.
If children make mistakes or fail, urge them to try again, she
said. "By supporting children to try again after failure, they
will gain experience and learn more."
She suggested that parents develop a good rapport with their
children, answering their questions and being willing to
accommodate their ideas. "It helps children to reveal their
thoughts and feelings," Utami said. (31)
JAKARTA (JP): The people most to blame for stifling children's
creativity are parents who mistakenly perceive it to be
unruliness.
That is the opinion of State Minister of Population/Chairman
of the Family Planning Coordinating Board Haryono Suyono, given
in a discussion during a seminar on children's creativity on
Saturday.
Parents are eager to see their children be creative but
unfortunately they are ignorant of how to help their kids develop
their intellect properly, he said.
Few parents know that children need to express their
intellectual capability without feeling psychologically
obstructed by people around them.
Many parents will readily punish their kids for making
mistakes instead of encouraging them to try again and teaching
them to be responsible for anything they (the kids) do.
"If children felt unaccepted within the family... they will
develop an inferiority complex and children who feel inferior
cannot develop creative instincts," Haryono said.
The one-day seminar, titled Stimulating Children's Creativity,
was organized by the Nadhlatul Ulama Moslem organization and the
Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI).
Opened by Hasri Ainun Habibie, chairwoman of ICMI's advisory
board, the seminar was attended by about 250 people.
Haryono said parents unfamiliar with signs of creativity are
impatient with their kids' "strange" behavior, such as tearing
their toys apart and scribbling on walls.
"Don't punish the children, but tell them to be more careful
(with their toys) and responsible for what they do," Haryono
said.
Other speakers were S.C. Utami Munandar, a psychology
professor at the University of Indonesia School of Psychology and
Malik Fadjar, the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Director General
of Islamic Institutions Development.
S.C. Utami Munandar pointed out that children's creativity is
unique in that it is different in each and every child.
Basically, all children show creativity in different ways,
such as exploring the environment, asking many questions,
expressing curiosity, experimenting, and never getting bored, she
said.
In addition, she said, creative children have a strong
imagination.
Parents, she said, should give their children the freedom to
develop their imagination. "However, many parents think that
children waste their time imagining... it's not useful and not
good. In fact, imagination develops a child's creativity," Utami
said.
Parents and teachers who feel they always know better than the
pupils make it difficult for children to develop their
creativity, she said.
"The parents' and teachers' attitude determines a child's
creativity," Utami said, adding that parents and teachers should
always give compliments and encouragement.
If children make mistakes or fail, urge them to try again, she
said. "By supporting children to try again after failure, they
will gain experience and learn more."
She suggested that parents develop a good rapport with their
children, answering their questions and being willing to
accommodate their ideas. "It helps children to reveal their
thoughts and feelings," Utami said. (31)