Don’t be afraid of the sound coming from your child’s beat. Children feel, interact and think differently. Some are shy, some outgoing; some are active and then there are our laid back kids. The funniest of these are twins. They are normally the kids we expect to be so much alike because of their looks but a majority of the time it’s just the opposite.
Yet, it never matters because we still love them the same. Let’s celebrate what stands out no matter what. Parents let’s embrace the difference/s. We should encourage them to be individuals.
So, how do we cultivate difference?
First, find out what beat they bop to. Introduce them to all sorts of outlets. My mom introduced me to reading at a very young age. My father was very strict and that created boundaries for all of us. I always felt stifled. Books allowed me to hide, run, be boundless. I also was different from my siblings.
Skin color, hair texture, and what I liked …all different. He made me feel like I should be more like…. this and in other areas more like… that. This only made me feel more like a weirdo. My self-esteem was always low. Books became my safe haven. I was downing books like snacks, going through 3-5 books a week.
And I was just 8 years old. I developed a love for reading because of this. Then as I got older I didn’t feel like I was being heard, like no one was listening so, my mom gave me my first journal and boy, oh boy that was all she wrote...literally. All I did was read… write… write…read and repeat!
As of today, I am an author of 8 urban fiction books and two children’s book, also a publishing home for three authors. And to think my mom was only trying to comfort me. Imagine what can be done when differences are embraced and laced with magic and excellence.
So find the beat your kids bop to and nurture it. You never know what may come of it!