A child’s imagination really is a thing of wonder. I like to believe that the reason children are able to construct such wild and creative creations in their minds is because they haven’t grown up and therefore haven’t had their minds corrupted by the plethora of unfortunate happenings in this world. I’m not alone in thinking this, either; I once heard an expression that communicated something along the lines of growing up is miserable because we forget what it means to be a child, and while I don’t think misery is a requirement of adulthood, there does seem to be more of it that occurs in our adult years as opposed to our childhood ones.
Growing up is an inevitable component of life, whether we like it or not. But, I do think there is some confusion that occurs when trying to determine an appropriate distinction between a child’s imagination and an adult’s – obviously, there is a stark difference between the two in terms of maturity, but does maturing equate to a loss of creativity?
The short answer is that it shouldn’t, but, sadly, this happens more often than not. Hence why it is so damn important to not only preserve, but further support and appreciate a child’s wild imagination when they are still a child; if a child is repeatedly told to grow up, or stop imagining things, or not to engage in make-believe, we are, in a sense, stripping them of their right to a childhood, wonder, and creativity. Childhood is exactly the period during which we are supposed to entertain ourselves with our imaginations, so why are we, as a collective society, so desperately trying to dim the brightest lights that shine from within children? And, if it is an issue of a lack of attention being issued from a child because they’re easily distracted by their imagination, perhaps we should consider alternative methods to assist them in bringing that same focus they dedicate to their world of make-believe to the real world?
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
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