Drama and Youth

Getting your children involved in drama or drama workshops early can be a very positive outlet for their emotions and the building up of their self-esteem. Do not get them involved in the hopes that they will become the next Daniel Radcliffe or Hilary Duff, but do it because you know it will help boost their self-confidence.

Drama can be a good way for your children to explore ways of expressing their personalities through different characters, places and situations. To that end, it allows the parent to give the child a window to a world that they are not used to experiencing. By helping your children explore the various possibilities of drama and theatre, you will help to expose them to various perspectives on the human condition that they are not readily exposed to in other venues.

This does not necessarily mean that you have to spend more money. Obviously if you choose to go the route of enrolling your children in a drama class, that will cost money; but it does not have to be about that. Even in the privacy of your home, you and your children can enact scenes from your favorite television shows or books in an effort to go to different places and see different things.

If you find your child is not into it, then do not force them. If your child is exceptionally gifted, let them continue doing drama for the right reasons as opposed to sending them immediately out to casting auditions or the latest soap commercial.

By Chris Giardino