To feel a bit sorry for children whose parents don't do anything creative with them?

[flamingobingo]

I expect a lot of people will think I am, but I don't care.

I don't love doing crafts (in fact it drives me mad most of the time), but isn't it part of parenting?

You kind of signed up for it, didn't you, the day you got pregnant?

[hercules1]

Surely that's what nursery/childminder/school is for.

[thisisyesterday]

actually i don't think that sitting doing boring craft activities is
"part of parenting"

i rarely do crafts with the kids as I hate it and it makes too much mess. they don't appear to suffer too much from lack of painting at home though!

[theDreadPirateRoberts]

Creative doesn't have to mean crafts - can mean finding shapes in clouds, rhyming words together or letting them make a random den and parachute all their cuddlies off the top.

This has been a glitter-free house since the notorious incident of Christmas 2005 and I'm not about to change my policy [crossed arms emoticon]

[AnarchyAunt]

I hate doing craft with DD. It just drives me bonkers.

However I grit my teeth and set her up with whatever she wants to do and then leave her to it. She has free access to all her craft stuff (except the paint) and is allowed to get it out on the floor on a shower curtain whenever she likes.

I only get involved if she is doing something new, like when she wanted to learn cross stitch. Otherwise she just makes a mess works of multi-textured art on her own.

[misshardbroom]

depends on what other creative opportunities are open to the child.

If you've got a child who spends 5 mornings a week in preschool cutting and sticking and squashing playdough around, then I don't think it's a problem if the parent doesn't do more of it at home.

If you have a child who has no other opportunity to try this sort of thing, then I do think it's good to let them do a bit of painting or make cakes or something at home.

But for everything you're doing as a parent, there's probably something you're not doing. For example, I do a lot of craft based stuff and cooking, but my ds1 can't catch a ball to save his life. We spend money on sending dd to dance lessons, but she doesn't go swimming.

[mosschops30]

Nope I didnt sign up to be creative when I got pregnant.
I signed up to shaping a polite, well mannered, well rounded, happy, secure, laughing, chuckling, chatty, confident, beautiful human being!
Not sticking felt to a piece of card etc etc which I am crap at.
Not being creative doesnt make you a crap parent, cant you think of worse parental traits than that?

[nellie12]

I signed up for everything else but crafts. That I gave up at 14 (much to the art teachers relief) and it remains given up. Fortunately ds1 shares my hatred and ineptitude. I waste far more time trying to civilise them and keep them fed. imo that is what parenting is about.

[paisleyleaf]

"since the notorious incident of Christmas 2005"
That glitter just WON"T go either! For weeks and weeks.

[Morloth]

You can feel sympathy for DS if you like, it is a bit wasted on him though. What with the loving, stable home etc. Can think of many children who have it worse.

Can't remember my mother ever doing any of that stuff, all the craft/art I did was at school.

I feel OK, I mean I haven't needed therapy YET but because I am repressing?

[scottishmummy]

i pay good money for someone else to get crafty with glitter,glue.thanks

[Reallytired]

There are other better things you can do with your child. My son loves riding his bike, going for walks, swimming, singing, playing recorder, cbeebies or reading.

I think the job of a parent is to make a child into a happy and productive member of society.

Frankly how many adults earn their living by doing arts and crafts?

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

I leave all that sort of stuff to DH. He is better at it and enjoys it.

Although DD and I did make a card for him today. It's well shit.

i am dreading the whole costumes for the school play stuff.

[hobbgoblin]

The only bit you sign up to is engaging with your child. There is no ruling that says how that must take place so yes YABU.

[ihavenosecrets]

Nonsense. I do craft activities with ds but I don't accept that it is part and parcel of being a parent.

[IotasCat]

Hell I outsourced all that malarkey to nursery, preschool, school and latterly beavers.

My boys aren't really that interested in crafty stuff anyhow

[LupusinaLlamasuit]

I feel a little bit sorry for kids whose parents don't have 4 postgraduate degrees and advanced guitar playing skills actually. Or expose them to real life astronomy. Or mud pie making. Or who never, ever have rows. Or other bastions of perfect parenthood. But hey, we're all different: what's it like up there looking down yer nose?

[Thunderduck]

YABVU.

[hercules1]

When dh suggested once we get a sand pit I pointed out to him there was no need as both children get to do that at nursery etc.

[BroodyChook]

I let the boys paint the fence with water, does that count?

[IotasCat]

Although my dh does a nifty line in sand engineering on the beach

[theloneposter]

leaving your children alone to get on with it makes them alot more creative.

i find all that arty/crafty stuff bit boring tbh.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Does duplo count?

Ot does it have to be twatting about with poster paint?

[LupusinaLlamasuit]

Where my boys go to holiday club, in the past (much better now) they just ponced about all day with glitter and glue and studious niceness.

The boys were climbing the walls with boredom until they started to do Running About Things.

[FrannyandZooey]

i feel a bit sorry for children who don't have ME as a parent

[theloneposter]

agree, children need to be active, doing things with glue was always for the nerdy kids, i didn't know anyone who watched blue peter.