We all focus our attention to academics, and making sure our children are active in organized sports and structured activities.  With all of these concerns and commitments, are we allowing  our kids to just be creative?  A little over a year ago, I let go of the morning resistance to get our school work started.  I was realizing that after breakfast (sometimes even before breakfast) was the time my girls seem to get caught up in their own ideas and creations.  Sometimes it was Lego constructions or bead work.  More recently it is drawing, painting, crochet, or even acting, videography and photography.   It was last year that I embraced this time and instead of demanding their obedience to get dressed and sit at the table to do school work, I gave them the time to create.  Within reason, I allowed them time to complete the project they had started.  They understood that the next thing to do was begin their school work.  Yes, it’s also beneficial to incorporate their talents and interests with the academic lessons, but I think the unstructured time without imposing expectations of the end product is also necessary.  Allowing this time to get their creative juices flowing and to express themselves in the mode of their choice made our academic times even more enjoyable and productive.  Currently, I see this optimal creative time of day changing for one and I need to be sure to work with it instead of against it, and allow her the time to create.