31 Everyday Ways to Connect with Your Child, Day 30: Family Pictures
Do you ever wonder how your child sees you? How he sees his siblings? I love to connect with the small thoughts in my kids’ heads. Do I seem blue, or red? (I hope it’s blue!)
One great way to find out is to draw family pictures together!
I will hand my child a blank piece of paper and get one for myself. Then I give a good start by saying we are going to draw a picture of our family. We just start with simple stick figures, one for each member of the family. Then we add details. Clothing, surroundings, hair, faces….and then give each person a possession. It can be something they like to do, something they wish they had, a hobby, anything.
You draw a family picture too. Your promptings can help your child feel free to be creative and keep the conversation going. They will enjoy seeing how you imagine them in your drawing.
Then hang the pictures up somewhere. The fridge, a window, I once had one of my girl’s drawing hanging in my car for the longest time. Show them to Daddy over dinner and talk about how we see each other. It can help them feel understood.
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So when I saw your title, I was like, “family pictures don’t draw any family together. It is so stressful trying to get everyone to look at the camera and smile at the same time.” But, then I read your post, and got the drawing part. And this is such a great idea. Drawings can tell you what a person perceives/thinks. You are such a smart woman!=)
I love this one! I read about this somewhere else too; to do it on a regular basis because their perceptions change. It has been so neat to see the different people they choose to draw each time, adding grandparents or cousins, or aunts or whoever. Very interesting! I made it! All the way through:) Thanks for this great series! It has been very helpful to me in being mindful in slowing down and spending time. Thanks:)