Did your parents help you in developing your talents?

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Not sure if my parents helped me develop 'talents', but they did help me reading.

My mom taught by brother and I to read before kindergarden. She used flashcards taped to objects, like a poster that says "REFRIGERATOR " stuck to the refrigerator.

Good side, I was always in advanced reading in elementary school. Bad side, learning to sight read made me a terrible speller.

My dad would read books with us, even when I was good enough to read silently. We would both read the pages, and when I was finished I would tell him and he would turn the page. I got a little compeditive, so I begin quickly scanning the pages to tell him I was done sooner.

Good side, I developed a love of reading and knowledge, and I can read pretty fast with good retention.

My parents were not well off financially, but they knew I loved music and so bought me a piano. My father went to some kind of a musical instrument convention and was able to find a very good deal on a zebra wood spinet. They sent me to piano lessons between ages 10 & 12 and I did well. I lost interest after that and quit lessons, but was able to retain much of what I learned and to read and write music as well. I married very young, age 16, and went many years with a desire to play piano again, but couldn't afford one. Four kids and a mortgage. The old zebra wood was still at my parent's house and no one played it accept for an occasional visiting relative. An aunt died and left me some money. Enough to buy a piano for me (red laquer) and a motorcycle for my husband. This was in the late sixties. My husband grew pot in the backyard and got busted. I sold the piano to pay for a lawyer. Not long after that a neighbor wanted to get rid of her piano because she was tired of dusting it. A Ludwig upright, hand carved mahogany from Italy. Fifty bucks and it was mine. About a year later, after hearing me play, my parents decided the zebra wood piano should be mine. So we had two pianos now, much to the chagrin of my 3 siblings, who bitched and moaned about me getting the piano even though they never touched it at home or expressed any desire to learn to play. I love the sound of the old Ludwig and still play it. I gave the zebra wood to my daughter and her son plays it.

So, yes. My parents encouraged me and provided me to the best of their ability with my artistic endeavors. Also bought me canvas and paint and hung my paintings in their home.