How to Help Spark Your Child’s Interest in the Arts

It doesn’t really matter how old your child is, and it also doesn’t exactly matter how busy you are as a parent. It’s so incredibly important to do what you can to get your child into a hobby. On top of that, it’s also so important to find ways to get them into a hobby that they will stick to. One of them would be the arts and general humanities, too. So why these? Well encouraging children to explore the world of arts is a wonderful way to foster creativity, self-expression, and imagination. 

Just think about it: everyone is surrounded by art all of the time, and it truly does help boost creativity and truly allow everyone to express themselves, and this leads to content, movies, design, and the list goes on and on. 

Whether your child shows a natural inclination towards painting, music, theater, or dance, nurturing their artistic interests can have a profound impact on their development and well-being. On top of that, it’s fun! So, here’s what you need to know to ignite your child’s passion for the arts and inspire a lifelong love of creativity.

Try to Lead By Example

Children often look to their parents and caregivers as role models. They want to imitate what their parents do! So, just by demonstrating your own appreciation for the arts and incorporating creative activities into your daily routine, you can inspire your child to follow suit. It’s a soft nudge to get them in the right direction, too. 

Whether it’s painting, playing a musical instrument, or attending cultural events, let your child see firsthand the joy and fulfillment that comes from engaging with the arts. But having some quality time with them and showing them you love it will make them want to follow. 

You Have to Provide Opportunities for Exploration

If they’re not being introduced to things, then it’s going to be more challenging to get them interested in the arts. So, just go ahead and expose your child to a wide range of artistic experiences and mediums to help them discover their interests and talents. It could be as simple as getting them a portable drawing tablet to doodle on (something that all kids love), but you can go beyond that, such as getting out of the house! 

Why not consider visiting museums, art galleries, and performances together? If you encourage your child to experiment with different artistic activities, then you can count on your child to just feel free to explore and express themselves creatively. So, by all means, take this into consideration!

Make It Fun for Them

Above all, make the arts a fun and enjoyable experience for your child. If you try and force it, they’re only going to hate it! So you need to make sure that you incorporate creative activities that they can actually dream of as fun, such as putting them into playtime, bedtime routines, and family gatherings. You can’t control this, and it needs to be naturally weaved in. 

How Dads Can Handle Challenges In Life

As a father, your kids are going to look up to you and they’ll need you to be there to help them handle challenges in their life – it’s all part of the job. However, what about the challenges you have to handle in your own life? The thing to remember is that if you’re going to help others – including your kids – you have to help yourself first, and if you’re not sure what to do, it’s time to find out. With that in mind, keep reading to discover how dads can handle challenges in their lives. 

Talk To People 

Trying to deal with challenges all by yourself isn’t easy, and some might say it’s impossible. How can you come up with solutions when your mind is focused on the problem? How can you handle challenges when you’re worried you might fail (leading you to do nothing at all)? 

That’s why it’s so important to talk to people who can help you get a new perspective on your problems and give you the tools, advice, and guidance to help you – that help could be precisely what you need to find answers. The great thing is the people you can talk to could come from anywhere, like family and friends, colleagues, a therapist, or you might want to join a men’s group and talk to people in similar situations to yours. Whatever you do, sharing your problems makes them a lot easier to deal with. 

Focus On What You Can Control

When there’s a lot happening all around you, and it feels as though there’s too much to deal with, the best thing you can do is focus on what you can control – in that way, you’ll feel calmer, and you’ll be productive, and even if it feels as though there’s nothing you can do, there will always be something when you start to look for it.

You’ll feel so much more empowered and in control when you use this method in every situation, and you’ll be able to show your kids that even when things seem impossible, there’s always a route forward, and the key is to search for it. 

Celebrate Small Victories 

Following on from the idea above, it’s also a great idea to celebrate your small wins as you go along, even if there are losses as well. Celebrating your victories, no matter how small they might be, will be a fantastic motivator to keep going, no matter how hard or confusing things might be. 

It’s also a wonderful way to help teach your children about things like hard work, resilience, and self-care – if you’re able to see the positive in every situation and celebrate when things go right, they’ll go on to do the same as they get older, and that’s going to help them not just to do able to handle all their challenges in a good way, but to be more positive in general. Make sure your celebrations are out there for all to see if you want your kids to learn lessons as well. 

Celebrate Ice Cream for Breakfast Day on Saturday, February 3

ST. LOUIS, MO / January 22, 2024 – Enjoy Breakfast at Clementine’s for Ice Cream for Breakfast Day from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, February 3.

The first 25 families in line at each of the eight locations will receive a free limited edition coffee mug (one mug per transaction). Several new flavors created especially for the day will be available for purchase including Toasted Nutella Crunch, Grapefruit Sorbet and Vietnamese Coffee, in addition to our traditional favorites.

Pajamas and costumes inspired by the movie/book “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” are encouraged as fun photo opportunities will last throughout the morning with giveaways from Tiffany & Co. at all locations, and free pancake art by Dancakes at the Central West End, Edwardsville, and Southampton locations.

Toasted Nutella Crunch features Nutella ice cream with crunchy bits of club crackers and hazelnut candy. Grapefruit Sorbet is a balance of tart grapefruit and sweet citrus orange blossom water. Vietnamese Coffee is a robust blend of dark, aromatic coffee swirled with sweetened condensed milk.

“This is one of my favorite days of the year, I love to see how creative everyone gets with their PJs,” said Tamara Keefe, owner of Clementine’s Ice Cream. “We’re really proud of this year’s flavors, I can’t wait for everyone to spend the morning with us!”

Guests are invited to visit any of the eight ice cream shops located at 1637 S. 18th Street in historic Lafayette Square, 730 DeMun in Clayton, 4715 Macklind in the Southampton neighborhood, 140 W. Argonne Drive in Kirkwood, 13426 Clayton Road in Town & Country, The Meadows Shopping Center in Lake St. Louis, 308 N. Euclid in the Central West End and the newest shop at Trace on the Parkway in Edwardsville, IL.

As Missouri’s only micro-creamery, all of the dairy used in Clementine’s creations is from local, grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone and RBST-free cows. Clementine’s combines their all-natural proprietary dairy base with the finest handpicked ingredients to churn up a decadent 16-18% butterfat ice cream. Visit Clementine’s for more information or to order pints online. Follow Clementine’s on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.

NEW BOOK NOW AVAILABLE YEAR ONE: ST. LOUIS CITY SC

RELIVE THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF AN UNFORGETTABLE FIRST SEASON

ST. LOUIS, MO — Reedy Press is pleased to announce the release of Year One: St. Louis CITY SC, by Dave Lange.

Experience that remarkable first season in Year One: St. Louis CITY SC. Learn about the birth and buildup of CITY; enjoy game summaries, pictures, and player statistics; and relive all of the thrilling international matches held at CITYPARK. Year One is an incredible story about an unforgettable season. 

In 2023, St. Louis CITY Soccer Club completed an inaugural season that was unparalleled in the history of Major League Soccer. CITY’s exciting, fast, and high-pressure style yielded goals and victories in bunches, won a regular-season conference championship, and thrilled sellout crowds at every MLS home game.

Year one saw CITY win the most games by an expansion team in MLS history, emerge as the first MLS expansion team to capture its regular season conference championship, and become the first MLS expansion team to win its first five games. Playing in perhaps the best soccer facility in the United States, CITY created a match-day experience unlike any other in St. Louis sports for the 22,423 fans who filled CITYPARK for every game.

Author and St. Louis native Dave Lange has chronicled St. Louis soccer for local and national media outlets since the 1970s. In Year One: St. Louis CITY SC, join him as he covers the highs and lows of St. Louis’s newest sports franchise in its inaugural season.

Year One: St. Louis CITY SC is available wherever books are sold.

BOOK DETAILS

Year One: St. Louis CITY SC, by Dave Lange

ISBN: 9781681065083

Hardcover, 9 x 12, 144 pages,

$39.95

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dave Lange is the author of the only comprehensive history of soccer in St. Louis—Soccer Made in St. Louis: A History of the Game in America’s First Soccer Capital (Reedy Press). He also wrote or coauthored Practice Makes Perfect: A Guide to Fun Training Sessions for 6-10 Year Olds; Cherishing Childhood: The First 100 Years of Community School; Webster University: A Century of Defining Moments; and Taming Troubled Waters: Dr. Henry Givens Jr. and the Transformation of Harris-Stowe State University. He also contributed a chapter to Soccer Frontiers: The Global Game in the United States, 1863–1913. Lange coached youth soccer and holds a USSF National D coaching license and a coaching certificate from the Royal Dutch Football Association. He is senior lecturer at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and adjunct full professor at Webster University.

SCHEDULED EVENTS FOR YEAR ONE: ST. LOUIS CITY SC

It is advisable to check with the event venue for confirmation a few days ahead of a book signing or presentation.

Presentation and Book Signing

Sunday, February 18, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Missouri History Museum

5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112

(314) 746-4599

Free and open to the public