I love to work with preschoolers. They are imaginative, creative, and energetic! At times, those traits can be daunting, especially for parents who have stressors above and beyond our kids. But, I’ve learned that working with kids instead of against them can make my life easier, even fun. Magical thinking is part of your child’s development, and this is how I use a little magic in my parenting:
1.) Let yourself believe
When I was a camp counselor, our whole program was based around what we could imagine and dream up for the kids in our group. We often went for “fairy” walks, which is when I got to cultivate and practice my storytelling skills. Most children believed right along with me as I said, “there’s a blue fairy flying overhead, and, oh!! I see the queen fairy – what color is she wearing??” But, I remember one child who kept saying, “I can’t see it! Where are they?” He was so disappointed, but I could tell that this child was never encouraged to believe or to imagine. Even when I prompted him and whispered, “we’re just pretending!” he wasn’t able to let go with us. Children learn in this process of play. If we let ourselves believe along with our child’s magical thinking, they will join us. Take the moment to relax with your child. Magic has a way of calming all of us.
2.) Feel the excitement
There is no greater gift than witnessing a child who believes in something – the excitement over Santa Claus or the tooth fairy or they are a mermaid swimming in the bath. It’s captivating. While parenting can be exhausting and, at times, overwhelming, magic offers us a gift: we can share in our child’s excitement. This reward can be wonderful and help refuel ourselves as parents as long as we are open to the moment.
3.) Remember what it was like for you
Do you ever stop and remember what it was like for you as a child? Did you believe in something magical? How did it make you feel? Was it important to you? Often times reminding ourselves of what it was like to be a child can motivate us to parent in a new direction. Remember what those moments felt like for you and allow yourself to recreate those moments for your child. Magic and imagination are the building blocks for critical thinking, for believing in something. Let your child practice these skills by letting a little magic into your home and you’ll be surprised how much joy it brings to you and to your child.
4.) Embrace super heroes
Drawing on a preschooler’s need for imagining and make-believing can make life as a parent easier. It is a tool to draw from in the early years for your child. I once babysat at a wedding and they wanted me to feed the kids. I connected with one of the little boys and I told him that superman (his idol) loved to eat salad. To my surprise, the little boy took a bite with a smile on his face…and he kept taking bites. His Grandmother ran up to me nearly panting to death and said, “he never eats anything – EVER – especially salad! How did you do it?” I turned something that was normally forced and required for him into something fun and light, something magical. I chose to play along with him.
Lawrence Flynn says
Always a gift to share knowledge that inspires others to experience the truth of their children rather than define that truth for their children.