2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Sun, house, character, car, animals, colors are all clues to a message to be decoded between the lines! Your child speaks to you through his drawings!
Your child doodles beautiful drawings and you are very proud to display them on the refrigerator door.
The orientation in space, the dimension of the drawing, the pressure of the line, the shape, the color, the theme are all determining elements in the interpretation that you can make of your child's drawings. Here is a preview.
18 to 24 monthsFor a child of this age, holding a pencil and drawing lines is already a feat in itself since the coordination of movement is in development.
24 to 36 monthsThis is a tool exploration phase. Gouache, markers, wax crayons, he likes to see what these materials give as a result, he experiments more than he expresses himself.
3 to 4 years oldThis is the beginning of “real” drawings. The child often tells you what he is going to draw before doing it.
4 to 5 yearsFrom now on colors really matter and a reality. The child associates "real" color with objects: a tree has a brown trunk and green leaves, water isblue, etc.
Pencils and paper
The choice of pencils and paper reveals the personality of the child. For example, bold and broad tips are preferred by determined children, while fine tips are often chosen by children who have more difficulty expressing themselves or imposing themselves. The child who prefers gouache and wax crayons is often more manual and physical than intellectual.
We should also offer several textures and sizes of paper to the child who will choose according to his character or what he has to express at that time. Thus, if he chooses a small leaf, he is a child who has good concentration and who does not like to take up all the space. A medium sheet will indicate that he is flexible and respectful of others, while the large sheet will reveal a very confident child who does not like to be isolated and ignored. Thin papers indicate great sensitivity, while thicker ones are a sign of comfort!
His preference for coloring books or blank sheets is also a clue to consider. Choosing a drawing already done allows him to concentrate on the colors, while the blank page gives free rein to his imagination. It is good to give him access to both, since they meet different needs.
Repeat
Care should be taken in interpreting repetitive designs or themes. If, for example, the child draws a house and we swoon over his beautifuldrawing, the child will often seek to recreate this appreciation by repeating his drawing. “Mom, likes it when I draw a house. She finds me good. She loves Me. But if his repetition of the same theme does not come from an overvaluation, it can be a "photo" of a happy or unhappy event in his life and by redoing the same drawing, he seeks to recreate the emotion felt.
Colors
Each color has its symbolism, its emotion. If the child uses only one color in his drawings, he sends a clear and clear message: he wants to be understood and decoded. Color combinations also have their own meaning.
Red: this is the first color the child learns to distinguish. The child who prefers her in his drawings is energetic, the kind that is hard to stop! But red is also aggressiveness, anger and anxiety. When there is a lot of red in a drawing, it may be a sign that a crisis is brewing!
Yellow: Yellow stands for knowledge, curiosity and joie de vivre. The child who uses this color a lot is more expressive than the majority of children.
Orange: Like red and yellow, orange expresses a need for social contact. It is also a sign of team spirit and competition.
Blue: This is the last color the child sees. Blue is peace, harmony and tranquility. The child who uses a lot of blue is introverted and does not like to be pushed around;he likes to go at his own pace. If blue is used in a funny way, the child sends you the message that he would like to have peace, that his environment bothers him!
Green: Since green is made up of yellow and blue, it reflects curiosity, knowledge and well-being. The child who uses it a lot is often intuitive and more mature than average, even if he is sensitive. When green is misused in a drawing, it can be a sign of too strong an ego.
Black: Parents worry wrongly when the design contains a lot of black. Black refers to the unconscious, to the invisible and not necessarily to bad thoughts. The child who uses a lot of them trusts himself and is not afraid of the future. But black can also mean that the child has secrets, that he does not want to reveal certain things. Check to see if the child is aggressive, punches vigorously, or is calm as this can guide your interpretation of their drawings.
Rose: Pink being composed of red and white, it means sweetness and tenderness. The child likes nice and easy things, and is approachable.
Brown: The child who likes to draw in brown likes security, stability and is often patient and meticulous. He is more calm than playful and he likes to collect objects which he arranges meticulously.
Shapes
House
A frequent theme in children's drawings, the house represents their emotions from a social point of view. Dotsimportant are: the size of the house in relation to the rest of the drawing or sheet, the number of windows, the smoke from the chimney and the door and door handle. A big house reveals the superiority of emotion over the rational, while a small one represents the more introspective state of a child asking questions. A small door indicates a reluctance to invite people into his home, a selective child in the choice of his friends, while a large door is an invitation to almost anyone! The handle on the left of the door indicates that the child is turning to the past, if it is on the right, the child appreciates the change, the new, the projects. Since windows are associated with curiosity, their number and size tell you whether your child is curious or prefers discretion.
Sun
One of the most drawn objects by children, the sun represents energy and fighting spirit. If he is on the left of the drawing, he represents the past and his link with his mother. On the right, refers to his father. It is the size of the spokes that is decisive here. The stronger and bigger they are, the more they look like a “sunburn” and denote too great an influence on the child. Conversely, an absence of rays demonstrates a loss of enthusiasm. If the sun is right in the middle of the leaf, it represents the independent child who feels somewhat responsible for his parents.
Person
The man to use the expression that childrenprefer often represents the child and the people around him. Big eyes show his curiosity, his openness; small eyes may mean that he prefers not to see reality. The mouth tells you about his ability to verbalize his emotions. If he draws ears (usually the hair covers the ears, so the child does not draw them), he is attentive and has a "fine ear". The position of the arms, up (he wants to be heard) or down (he wants to be left alone), and that of the feet (solid or uncertain) is also important in decoding his man.
Clouds
Clouds don't necessarily mean rain! They are proof that the child wants to be realistic and that he is aware of his environment, with its ups and downs.
Tree
The tree is particularly important in a drawing because it represents the child. The base of the trunk informs you of its physical energy. The wider the trunk, the more the child feels rooted and easily recovers his energy. Children who are in poor he alth tend to have thinner trunks. The height of the tree will give you a clue of the place it believes it has within the family, society, etc. Branches and leaves are associated with creativity, but also with its development. A leafless tree may mean that the child needs intellectual "fertilizer", while abundant foliage is characteristic of children with overflowing imaginations. Maybe a little bittoo much in some cases!
Bulk
Mountain: stability acquired (left) or to be achieved (right). The objects drawn on the mountain are also important.
Flower: the child wants to please, needs your attention, your care, like a flower!
Animals : dog (moves a lot), cat (independence), horse (ambition), bird (curiosity, cheerfulness), fish (peaceful and independent)
Vehicle : defines how the child behaves with others. The car is an index of respect for the rules, the bus that the child works better in a group, the plane that he is eager to grow up, the bicycle that he is calm and wants to go at his own pace.
You will understand that a thousand meanings can be hidden in your children's drawings and that the drawing must be looked at as a whole to really have a meaning. A single drawing may not have any particular meaning, other than being a "portrait" of the emotional or creative state at that precise moment. On the other hand, repetition gives clues that can be revealing. Psychologists specialize in interpreting drawings, which may be an avenue to consider if the child is going through a particularly disturbing phase or if their behavior has changed without you knowing why. Don't force him to draw if he doesn't feel like it, but give him every opportunity to do so by always having papers and pencils at hand to let him express himself as he wishes.
