{"id":1775,"date":"2015-02-19T11:10:02","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T11:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.canvasprintersonline.com.au\/blog\/?p=1775"},"modified":"2015-08-05T06:29:16","modified_gmt":"2015-08-05T06:29:16","slug":"memory-making-child-star-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.canvasprintersonline.com.au\/blog\/memory-making-child-star-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Memories In The Making: Give Your Child The Star Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

My cousin\u2019s 11 year old daughter is into absolutely everything \u2013 ballet, singing, clarinet \u2013 and, whenever I see a new photo pop up on Facebook, it reminds me of all the extra-curricular activities I used to do as a kid. However, the detail of my\u00a0memories is vague. Despite my parents taking the odd photo here and there, I\u2019ve forgotten so much.<\/p>\n

My cousin has captured and shared a multitude of photos on Facebook, the most recent being her daughter\u2019s advancement to wearing pointe shoes for ballet, but also rehearsal photos, backstage photos and a multitude of extraordinary costumes.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

Last year this gifted little member of my family was invited to perform as a lead child star in a local performance of the prestigious opera The Marriage of Figaro. For all we know, she may be the next Joan Sutherland. Or maybe, like me, she\u2019ll move onto something different and forget those dreams of being an elite basketballer or famous actor \u2013 yes, I\u2019m projecting.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what got me thinking. When we\u2019re young we\u2019re all stars in our parent\u2019s eyes and so perhaps we should, for the sake of our children, give them the star treatment. I certainly don\u2019t mean in a creepy child beauty pageant kind of way and I definitely don\u2019t mean in a way that falsely props up their fragile egos when there\u2019s no apparent talent to speak of, but instead in a supportive manner that actively encourages excellence.<\/p>\n

Inspirational imagery and non-monetary rewards are fundamental to supporting and recognising effort, respectively. Scott Barry Kaufman in Psychology Today describes research that shows that people who are \u2018generally more inspired in their daily lives also tended to set inspired goals, which were then more likely to be successfully attained.\u2019<\/p>\n

What a wonderful gift it would be to express support of your child\u2019s latest achievement through a canvas photo collage that captures their journey to excellence \u2013 photos of the rehearsal, the struggle, the backstage (or locker room) antics, the friendships they made, the fun they had and, finally, the performance itself.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

If they brought home a winning trophy, medal or award, you might also include that (but it\u2019s not absolutely needed as a marker of their success).<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

Your child is already a star in your eyes and you already act as their number one fan, so it wouldn\u2019t be a stretch to start documenting all parts of their journey through photography, not just the medal at the end.<\/p>\n

Hanging a photo collage on their bedroom wall alongside their favourite star will provide inspirational support for the next phase of their journey or comfort in closure should they ever wish to retire their pointes and call it a day.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

If our children\u2019s dreams change, capturing these moments<\/a> will help them fondly remember those intensely challenging but amazing times of fun, laughter and self-development (well, at least the first two). If our children\u2019s dreams progress to a professional or accomplished level, how wonderful would it be to hold those memories close to your heart and home?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My cousin\u2019s 11 year old daughter is into absolutely everything \u2013 ballet, singing, clarinet \u2013 and, whenever I see a new photo pop up on Facebook, it reminds me of all the extra-curricular activities I used to do as a kid. However, the detail of my\u00a0memories is vague. Despite my parents taking the odd photo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":1999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[28],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n