Back-to-school time is here! Along with the excitement of new experiences comes the challenge of getting ready for the year ahead. How do you cope? Think creatively! Creativity can help you find colorful and crafty ways to get through the back to school rush, connect with your kids and have fun in the process.

Why Encourage Creativity?

A universal desire among parents is that their children grow up to be successful. Parents wonder what helps children attain success. Today’s emphasis on standardized testing makes parents ask, “Does success equate with doing well on standardized tests?”  “No,” say the experts. Dr. Robert J. Sternberg, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Tufts University is a renowned psychologist who specializes in determining what makes people successful. His latest research demonstrates that imagination and creativity are as important as intelligence in predicting how successful people will be later in life. Dr. Sternberg has found that standardized tests are not the best predictors of success. He recommends that instead of testing students with standardized multiple choice questions, where children are asked to memorize and regurgitate facts, teachers and parents should focus on developing children’s creativity.

Why encourage creativity? Creative skills are important for children’s long-term success. Many parents wonder “Are some kids born creative, while others lack this gift?” The good news for parents is that Dr. Sternberg has found that “creativity is not something people are either blessed with at birth or doomed to be without for life”. He says, “Raising creative children is a decision parents can make and a habit to be practiced. Provide your children with opportunities and supplies that foster creativity.” It’s empowering for parents to realize that simple steps they take, such as giving their kids crayons and paint, lead to their children’s life-long success.

Creative Solutions

As parents we all have a lot of stress in our lives. Eighty percent of moms with school-age kids are working. The top challenge identified as causing stress is “trying to get everything done.” It may be hard to imagine being creative when you are in a rush. You may think you aren’t the creative type. However, being creative is simply thinking or behaving imaginatively. This is something you do in your balancing act as a parent everyday. Actively applying your creative know-how to your school preparations can make this time something you and your kids actively enjoy. Here are a few creative ideas for you and your child to consider:

*?Check it out! Create a morning checklist with everything they need to do you get out the door. Post this list to help avoid morning madness.

*?Food in a flash. Make flash cards with favorite breakfast and packed lunch solutions. On Sunday, select your “food in a flash” for the week.

*?Be prepared! Over 80% of elementary classroom teachers give students lists stating exactly what supplies to bring to school. Use the shopping time to learn more about your kids and communicate about their hopes and fears. Consider buying extras of items your child may use up before the school year ends at the promotional prices available now.

* Make your mark. Create colorful bookmarks for all books you will be reading at school. Encourage reading by starting a family book club.

*?Organize for success. Work with your child to find a backpack or school bag that fits their needs. Designate pockets or places to keep all their supplies neatly stowed away. Once a month clean out the bag to keep the organization going strong.

*?Review key skills. Look for printable worksheets on http://www.crayola.com/ and other internet sites to review key skills in a fun way. Use crazy colors to do math problems, answer every other question on a worksheet or use crayons to write in cursive.

*?Beat the rainy day blues. Embellish a notebook cover with pictures that express your child’s interests. Bring the notebook in on rainy days to make indoor recess more fun.

*?Find a home base. Designate a homework station in your home. Set aside a quiet area with all the supplies needed to tackle school assignments. Have fun personalizing this area and making it an inspirational learning environment.

Connecting Creatively

Researchers have identified a special bond between parents and kids today. Parents relish in connecting with their kids. In fact, the Yankelovich Group, who coined the term “generation gap” 40 years ago, says “the gap is zapped.” Instead of pulling in opposing directions, now parents and kids are in synch. Parents also enjoy connecting with their kids by bringing back fond childhood memories of their own. The Yankelovich Youth Monitor found that 87% of parents “get a real kick out of seeing their kids enjoy the same kind of things that they did when they were kids.”

Look at the back-to-school preparations not as a chore but as a bonding experience with your child. Listen to their laughter. Talk about your experiences. Come up with new and creative ways to make the school year more fun and stress-free for your family. Thinking creatively prepares your child for life by encouraging them to discover new solutions, to be open to ideas and to be independent. By modeling creative solutions for your child you are helping them learn valuable skills that they will be able to use their whole lives.