How do you talk to your kids about their artwork?

It's the end of the school year and your young artist has (hopefully) brought home a bunch of artwork created throughout the year! Instead of pulling it out, praising them and then either hanging, hiding or discarding the work, use it as a conversation starter!

But how do you talk about the work they've completed in a way that honors their process? First, shift your idea of this conversation to you interviewing them about it!

Here are some simple interview tips:

1. Ask about the process, not the product.

Our instinct as adults is to ask "what is that?" as opposed to "how did you make that?" The first of these questions will result in a one word answer but the second will lead you into hearing a WHOLE story and even elicit more interview questions. "What materials did you use?" "What did you do first, second, last?" Help lead them through explaining how they made their work.

2. Ask about the choices they made.

Find out why your artist decided to use the materials in a certain way. This will help you understand the intention in their work, the idea behind the piece and also their preference for certain materials, methods or colors. "Why did you choose to use that color?" "How did you decide to glue that feather there?"

3. Now, it's time to tell them what YOU think.

Give them feedback that tells your artist you're closely observing their work. Instead of, "This looks great!", you can say something like "I really like the way you added so many different wood pieces in this area" or "I really love that color, how did you make it?"