YOU MAY NOTICE THAT YOUR CHILD: • experiments with clothing, interests, or skills (like art) in a search for individual identity. • feels strongly about everything; desires to be understood. • identifies strongly with peers; but desires honest approval from parents. • is self-aware or self-conscious; benefits from private time to work on art skills. • tries art for the first time. Your middle schooler may wish to keep the results of their sketches to themselves until a certain level of proficiency is obtained. • is done with guessing and messing and desires instruction in drawing concepts or color theory. ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO: • showcase their art in public locations such as a library, rec center, or local coffee shop, within Instagram, or a personal website. Say something like, “I think this series of “landscapes” or “portraits with flowers” that you’ve created shows a lot of originality. I think others would like to see them too. Have you thought about displaying them on… or at the county fair?” ENGAGE YOUR CHILD BY: • helping your child collect original drawing references of their favorite subjects; drive your middle schooler to locations to draw their favorite subject “horse stables” or “zoo” or to take photographs at an event such as “hot air balloon festival” or “motocross track” for use in future artworks. Develop your child’s best photos into 8 x 10-inch prints, which are easier to see than working from a phone screen.
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