The Role of Fantasy

There is not a child alive who does not fantasize about being some kind of hero or being another character that has special abilities. Little girls think about being beautiful and graceful while little boys dream of being strong, forceful individuals who help people. That kind of fantasy has not changed much except our fantasies are individualized.

By putting themselves in an imaginary world, they have powers that are not evident in their own world. It gives kids something to look forward to, a form of life they might be able to attain simply by being an adult. Those kinds of beliefs allow us to motivate ourselves and to give momentum to our actions in order to make it happen.

Kids do not know what it is really like to be an adult. But they imagine there is a lot of freedom to be whatever they want. It is a big mystery that is seen as an adventure and they can hardly wait to get there. We do not deter our children by indicating some things are not possible because we want them to be enthusiastic about all of their options.

Besides, who are we to say they cannot be what they aspire to be? Even if the dreams are highly unrealistic, portions of that imaginary life could happen. It is up to us as parents to spur them on, to encourage as much as possible and to place our kids in the path or opportunities that could help the dream come alive.

I am delighted to produce stories to help parents introduce kids to possibilities. When they see other kids overcoming challenges, the world opens up.