Stimulate Your Little One’s Imagination

When your child is two or three years old, he begins to do some things, which an adult never understands. It may seem insane for an adult to see a child handling things an adult cannot see, and talks about things not present to an adult’s senses. A child can easily turn blocks and sticks and stones into as many other things or animals or persons as he chooses.

Observe your child. When he feels the need of a new pet, he creates them out of his imagination and he makes them act as per his wish. Things no bigger than mere specks of dust he can transform in a moment to the size of mountains, and mountains he can turn to specks. Unless a child is ridiculed or scolded for this wholesome fun, he lives in a land of make believe.

Help your child with his imaginations. He may pretend for instance that you are he and he is you carrying on this drama for a few days. When he does this, join in with his play. Do not be impatient with him.

When your child enters kindergarten, he seems unable to discriminate between facts and fancies; be sympathetic. Don’t suggest that he is lying. Just calmly help him to know the difference between make-believe as “play stories” and true accounts as “what really happened”.

Avoid words such as LIE and TRUTH. It is best to avoid such vocabulary where there are little children.

Don’t drive the little child to think of himself a liar, when he is so truthful. See to it that you don’t disturb his play with imaginary characters. You may destroy his creative powers and rob his wholesome fun if you do so.

Welcome all the creatures of his fancy to your home. Learn to talk with them and live with them. Encourage his creation. Read to him from pictured storybook. Read, read and read. Open your child’s imagination…open a book. But avoid frightful stories.

Dramatize the story with him, play the part, which he wishes you to play.

So parents, start stimulating your child’s imagination, get some nice time out, lie on your back with him in the garden or on the terrace, watch the clouds passing by, see each strangely shaped cloud and share your imaginations…and I promise you, your child’s imagination will outshine yours in no time.

Blessed is the child whose parents and teachers appreciate his gift of imagination.

Hema Sridhar