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The arts are an integral part of cognitive and emotional development. Schools around the country are cutting funding for art programs of all kinds, and it is taking a hard hit on students and teachers. Parents may not understand how to incorporate the arts into their home life, and that means children will lack artistic activities in their lives. If your child is not being artistically educated at school, you need to get them involved in extracurricular programs. Here are three reasons your child will benefit from artistic programs.

Emotional Outlets
The arts provide a superb emotional outlet for children that struggle with communication. Dance, music and sculpting are a few of the art styles that provide an outlet to express emotions. Children that have access to the arts are more capable of expressing their emotions clearly and effectively. It makes them more confident in what they are feeling, and it can be very easy to setup. For example, piano teachers in Philadelphia, Chicago, or Los Angeles are capable of providing music lessons in the comfort of your own home.

Future Career Paths
Children that are in the arts from a young age tend to have better career options. Employers look for employees that are creative, driven and artistically inclined. These skills are valuable in the professional work force. Since music can improve math and reading comprehension, children involved in music have a better chance at a higher paying job. Children that are in theater or other types of art develop a host of skills that translate well for the adult work force. You can make sure your kids get these benefits by encouraging them to attend classes or lessons during critical development years. Let them pick something that interests them, and then get your child signed up.

Therapeutic and Stress Reducing
It may not seem like children have stress, but in the modern world high-stress levels are common amongst children. Harder coursework, more peer-pressure demands, and tons of things going on can build up on young people. This is especially true for adolescents. Performing arts and playing music is known to reduce stress levels and improve performance across many aspects of a child’s life.

Getting your child involved in arts is as easy as encouraging them to. Find out if your child is naturally attracted to learning a specific instrument or has a passion for singing or dancing. By signing them up for a class or regular lessons you will let them explore their options before settling on a specific choice. The arts are a necessary part of development, and they can dramatically improve your child’s life.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want their kids to participate in the arts.

Image courtesy of Scuddr via Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.