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   HOW TO MOTIVATE KIDS TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENT
 We all know that parents and teachers should do everything they can to encourage children to discover their individual talent and develop their creative potential. I have worked successfully with my own four children and I am continuing to reach out to other kids as well.  I would now like to share my methods with others.

Step 1.) Observe your children's behavior to determine their interests and strengths.

            Since my children were very young, I have observed their behavior in order to determine their interests and strengths. After doing so, I have figured out ways to help them build on their abilities.

            My oldest daughter Nadia was interested in ice
skating. Of course I enrolled her in figure skating
classes. I also allowed her the opportunity to try out other interests. She participated in gymnastics and dance classes. By using the talent that she had, she developed other abilities also.  

Step 3.)Develop a family hobby that will involve the use of the chidren's talent. This will not only increase children's creative potential, but also brings the family closer.

    As my children got a little older I enrolled them in a performing group, and I eventually began allowing them to act out their fairy tales on home video. They really enjoyed putting on their shows and it became a very entertaining family hobby. I had another baby named Shereene who became part of the cast at a very young age, and my older daughter joined in as well. They were also involved in performing arts classes and talent shows.

Step 4.) Continue to find new, expressive ways to help your children discover talent through school, the arts, theater, etc.

       Because my children enjoyed performing so much, I decided to enroll them in a special school of the arts. The school was wonderful, and they learned a lot. They also continued to be in performances both in and out of school. In addition, they became interested in writing and visual art. They developed even more skills. Once when I attended a school program I noticed that Donnie was missing.   I was very concerned until Santa came bouncing out on stage. The crowd roared with laughter.

            At home we continued to create our fairy tale videos. We made our own versions of Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, etc. I decided it was time to create a story of my own. This led to something very special.

 
Step 5.) Parents should discover and develop their own talent as an example for their children.          

     One of Donnie’s interests was science. He liked to invent various gadgets. To encourage his interest, I’d gotten him a book about inventions. He became fascinated with making things spin. He began by putting together a simple fan. I then helped him create what he called a “Wacky Spinmobile”, a little car that spun in circles and lit up like a space ship. Donnie entered it in the school science fair and we wound up in the newspaper the next day.

            I designed an Inspector Gadget costume for Donnie to wear. He had a helicopter hat that would spin and light up. He also had an arm that stretched and little lights. I bought a miniature toy t.v. to attach as well. He had a lot of fun and won costume contests. 

            I made S

                                 More Books at Barnes & Noble 
       I also wrote Twirly Shirley In Hurricane Shirley, and Twirly Shirley And The Brother Like No Other. I used photos of my children in these books as I had done with the first book. I created special costumes which included one for a singing Christmas Tree which was decorated with lights.

                                               



            Sabrina and Donnie had both won awards in writing contests. Shereene was also a good writer. They were happy and proud of their achievements. Their academic skill improved as well and they took a lot of interest in school. Donnie had trouble in the past with his memory, but because of his involvement in the arts that was no longer an issue.

He was able to memorize his lines in plays as well as the lines of his peers. His reading skills improved tremendously. The more he learned, the more he was able to learn.

            As a family we continued to use our imaginations to do many fun and creative activities. For birthdays I would make special cakes. I ordered  a special effects cookbook. I used some of the recipes in the book and made up some of my own. Donnie enjoyed  a fire breathing dragon cake and erupting volcano which were recipes included in the book. I also invented my own Genie In A Bottle cake for Shereene. I made a twirling Christmas tree cake and a few others.

   
    I would like to encourage parents to take great interest in their children lives and be very involved.. This will cause the children to take more of an interest in themselves. Encourage kids to take advantage of good opportunities. Help them discover ways to develop their skills. This will help them enjoy life more. It will also motivate them to do positive things instead of negative things. If they have your attention and involvement for the good things they do, they are less likely to beg for attention in negative ways. Do all that you can to inspire your children to be the best they can be. They will be much happier and continue to discover new skills that they never knew they had.