We talk to Julia Cameron, the American author of the recently published The Artist's Way for Parents: Raising Creative Children, and to Dubai-based empowerment coach Adam Zargar about how to foster a child's imagination.
1 Head outdoors
Simplicity is underrated. "It may feel like we are not giving our children enough by 'only' going to the park," says Cameron. "Sitting on a bench and taking a moment to quickly check our email from our phone, we may feel that our child, who wanders along a path nearby, would be better off in swimming lessons or art class, or practising the violin. All of these things are good, but letting our children take in the details of a flower, or gaze up at a tree where a nest of birds tells a secret story – we allow them to make their own connections and imagine."
2 Avoid hovering and micromanaging play
Sometimes it's important to just stand back. "Letting go may be as simple as allowing your toddler to explore drawing without 'improving' their artwork, or letting him tell you a story without finishing it for him," explains Cameron. Write down five ways you enjoyed playing as a child and then encourage your child to do one of these things. "I felt free when I was allowed to 'perform' an original story for my parents," explains Cameron. "I would create a stage in the middle of the living room, make a grand entrance and tell a story. All they did was laugh and applaud. I can give this experience to my child today by setting that 'stage', asking her to tell a story and doing nothing myself except enjoy the show."
3 Stock up on raw materials
Invest in some building blocks, Lego, clay, crayons, acrylic paints, blank paper and colouring books, then leave your kids to their own devices. "As parents, it falls to us to supply a variety of raw materials for creativity – the simpler, the better. The first and perhaps most powerful tool is blank paper. It can become a drawing, a poem, a boat, a magic carpet, the possibilities are vast. The finished drawing or tepee or hat should be given a place of honour," suggests Cameron.
4 The power of pretend play
Talking to inanimate objects is a great way for your child to expand his imagination. "Making a doll is an ideal way to merge an arts and crafts project with pretend play," explains Cameron. "As your child is making the doll, be it from paper, a sock, a stick, or Lego, interact with your child. Does the doll have a name? Where does the doll live? How old is it? Allowing the doll to have its own backstory gives your child ownership over his invention."
5 Avoid over-scheduling
With little effort we could fill our child's every moment with educational and enlightening activities, but if we over-schedule we leave no room for spontaneity or inspiration. "There is little that can dampen their creative development more than taking away their freedom of choice and experimentation," warns Cameron. "Scheduling our children so that they are exposed to a variety of activities, while being cautious to leave room for their interests to grow, we give them the gift of safety and an environment in which their creativity can develop."
6 Set up a creative area
Providing a local perspective, Adam Zargar, an empowerment coach (www.2blimitless.com), says: "For children up to 11 years old it is important to create an area in the home that belongs to them and fill it with props and costumes that will allow them to use their imagination. Get them to design the area and then make it together. Every month you could redesign and re-theme the area. For example, you could make it look like outer space, or theme it around a historical period."
• Every month Zargar will run Dubai Apprentice, an all-day programme for children ages 8 to 12. The first event will be on Friday at Cascade Learning Centre in JLT
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'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)
Saturday
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)
Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)
Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)
Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)
Sunday
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)
AIDA%20RETURNS
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THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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