This post is not to make you feel inadequate about your parenting or creativity skills. And your stick figure drawings, and peanut butter sandwiches cut into triangles are just fine.
But it's good to know - and be inspired by - by parents who bring so much beautiful creativity into their kids' lives, like these ten via My Modern Met, several of whom I've featured on this blog this year.
1 This baby is having the time of her life in these creative adventures by Sweden-based photographer Emil Nystrom. Featuring his own daughter, Signhild, as the main subject, Nystrom developed a series of innovative concepts. In the photoshopped compositions, the little one is doing all sorts of bizarre things like fixing a car, performing cannonballs in the bathtub, and floating along behind an airplane. See more here.
2 Each image in the collection features Nagano's daughter Kanna standing in the middle of an empty road, filling the streets with her big personality. Accompanied by a variety of props and the occasional, cute costume, Kanna managed to steal the show with her animated facial expressions. The portraits revealed the young girl's imaginative and playful side with her diverse, theatrical poses and enthusiastic energy. See more here.
3 Artist and mom Nina Levy has taken leaving notes in school lunches to another level. In addition to pedaling her sons to school by cargo bike in New York City, she packs their lunches with napkin drawings. The vivid ink drawings feature their favourite cartoon, comic, and video game heroes (often holding fruit instead of weapons). See more here.
4. Japan-based mother Aya Sakai charts the adventures of her young son and his best friend, which just happens to be a French Bulldog, using the popular photo sharing app. Whether they're cuddling on the couch or watching tv on a cushion, the two just can't seem to get enough of each other. See more here.
5. Saint Petersburg, Russia-based photographer Andy Prokh has taken these sweet, storytelling photos of his daughter Katherine growing up with her curiously cute British Shorthair cat, named LiLu Blue Royal Lada. Both of his subjects have oodles of personality which shines through in every image. See more here.
6. Artist David LaFerriere's kids must be constantly thrilled to open up their lunch boxes. After making the kids' sandwiches, LaFerriere uses sharpie pens to draw a quick illustration on the outside of the plastic bag. He photographs his work, and the kids don't see the artwork until they sit down at school to have their meal. See more here.
7. Malaysian mother Samantha Lee has become an inspiration to mothers all around the world that you can get creative without expensive gadgets or tools. In fact, Lee cuts up rice, bread, vegetables and fruits with ordinary around-the-house items like scissors and knives. See more here.
8. Illustrator Mica Angela Hendricks loves drawing faces inspired by old black and white movie stills, but what she didn't realise she was missing was the imaginative touch of her 4-year-old daughter. One day, while she was pulling out one of her precious sketchbooks, her daughter caught a glimpse and asked if she could draw in it. Hendricks decided to share her work with her daughter. See more, here.
9. Redditor Tatsputin is a working dad who finds himself traveling out of state for ten days out of every month, but he takes a piece of his kids with him through their adorably scribbled drawings. While on the plane, the loving father affectionately colors in the drawings his tiny tots made for his trip and hands it back to them upon his return. See more here.
10. The Chinese mother of three channelled her passion for photography into creating epic adventures for one of her little sleeping sons, Wengenn. Watch as he flies on a trapeze while a crowd of stuffed animals cheers him on or check out he's already breaking hearts when he arranges a romantic dinner with his female teddy bear. See more here.