As every professional and experienced therapist will tell you themselves, self-expression is one of the fundamental tools human beings utilize to be able to successfully thrive in their environment.

Even animals automatically and naturally express themselves by following their instincts, and it is an unfortunate but all-too-familiar fact that when we reach adulthood, with all the responsibilities that come with it, self-expression usually gives way towards acceptance, normality, and even, in some cases, monotony.

As a proud parent or guardian, you will undoubtedly want your child to grow up knowing how to express themselves and understanding that this is an altogether natural and ultimately beneficial way of living their life.

With that being said, continue reading to learn about the top four ways to encourage your child to express themselves.

 

Be Open & Honest Regarding Your Own Feelings

 

Obviously, there is a multitude of topics and occurrences that, to quote an oft-cited expression, certainly aren’t for small ears.

However, when discussing or even just conversing with your child, try to make a conscious effort to express your emotions and tell them how you feel about a particular person or subject. The goal here is to instill in your child that it is not only perfectly normal to ‘speak one’s truth’ but a vital part of living a fulfilling, contented, and well-rounded life.

 

Encourage Them to Play a Musical Instrument

 

There are a wide plethora of amazing and incredibly beneficial advantages to your child learning how to play a musical instrument sourced from a reputable and renowned supplier such as cranesmusic.com.

Such advantages include, but are certainly in no way limited to:

• Music education strengthens children’s emotional, mental and cognitive abilities
• Playing a musical instrument can significantly increase a child’s memory recall
• Patience is taught through the ‘practice makes perfect’ music teacher’s motto
• Learning to play an instrument substantially improves a child’s reading abilities

 

Never Belittle Their Fashion or Accessories Choices

 

One of the worst possible things you can do to your child, especially when you are actively trying to encourage them to embrace self-expression and personal honesty, is to belittle or berate their fashion or accessories choices, especially in public.

As young children grow older, they will naturally want to experiment with how they look on the outside to best try and portray to you and other family members and loved ones how they are feeling on the inside. To stifle their fashion creativity with a snide or sarcastic comment, however harmless you think it to be, could seriously damage their capacity for self-expression in the future.

Always Keep Lines of Communication Open

 

By far the best overall way to ensure your child grows up to be a person who embraces self-expression is to discuss and converse with them about how they are feeling and why they think they feel that way.

Their future capacity for self-expression is in your hands as a parent.