So often children start out being so creative and such dreamers and then they become aware of "societal norms" and their creativity and dreams become dictated by what's "normal" or "acceptable". I feel very strongly that we need to continue to foster our children's creativity and capability to dream, especially when they're young. I feel that it's those kids who aren't trapped by what's normal who really learn to think outside the box and who go on to do really amazing things in the world.
Another thing that I think is extremely important is to let kids fail and learn from their mistakes. I think about people like Walt Disney and Albert Einstein who were rejected and seen as failures, but learned and pressed forward. Eventually they became some of the most well-known people in the world for their contributions. One of the most important things we can teach our children is to keep trying even after failure.
We come from the most creative being in the universe. God created this beautiful world and was not held back by norms. In President Dieter F. Utchdorf's October 2008 General Conference talk entitled "Happiness, Your Heritage" he says, "What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside."
By fostering creativity, dreaming, and comeback from failure, we can teach our children to think in new ways, to be innovative, and to think more critically when they're not bound by what is "socially acceptable".
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