How to Talk about Your Child’s Art

This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on a link, BSF will receive a small commission. Thank you for helping to keep this blog running.

Okay, moms, this is for you. Before your child starts learning art, I want you to realize that what you say and do with your children is extremely important as to how this will work in the long run, because you are their primary teacher. If you say negative things about your child’s art, then you’re the one responsible for ruining that little genius that we’re trying to teach. This includes telling them that their work is wrong, or they should do it in a different way.

How to Encourage Children to be Creative

Encourage them to get rid of any negative thoughts about how they are doing things. Just encourage them. I have been a homeschool mom and teaching in the homeschool environment long enough to know that there are moms out there that want their children to be the best at everything. They want their children’s work to be better than everybody else’s. And they will try and help them to make it so.

I have parents helping in my classes that will be putting their input a little too much into the children’s work or telling their children in my class to not do it this way or that. Mom, don’t do art with your child this way.

Let them make what they want, in a way that is within the parameters of the project. What we’re teaching them are art techniques. So, if my students want to end up with something that’s not exactly what my picture is, that’s fine.  Remember that it’s their work. What your child thinks of the finished product is the most important part. Art is about the artist being satisfied with his art, not about what anyone else thinks. (Including Grandma, Auntie Nora, and your homeschool mom friend down the street.)

What to Say about Your Child’s Art

So just speak words of life into your children, just encourage and nurture. Let them follow along with a project and see what happens. They will get really jazzed about art and they will want to just keep doing it outside of the actual lessons. That’s what you want because how do you get to Carnegie Hall? You practice, practice, practice, practice. How do you get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art? You practice, practice, practice, practice. The more they practice, the more their work will blossom.

I have seen this happen so many times. One of my children went through an art program at a technical high school.  She was immersed in art, drawing and painting for half of her day.  Her work just skyrocketed and including her technical skills. It was fabulous to see. She has since gone into an art career.

A Life of Loving Art

So, your child might not necessarily want to go into an art career, but what we want is for them to love art. We want them to be able to paint and draw, and enjoy it! For them to have fun without any negative feelings about art for the rest of their life. Even if they never become a professional artist, they will have a life filled with the love of art.  Remember, speak positive words over your child’s art. Do not try and stop them from creating something to criticize it.  It’s going to be very tough for you, I know. You can do this mom! Remember positive, positive, positive.