Good or bad? Day dreaming & your child

Children daydream. Daydreaming, according to cognitive therapists, plays an important role in their development. There is sufficient research connecting daydreaming in children with enhanced creativity, social adjustment, linguistic performance and performance at school.

Daydreaming allows one’s thoughts to freely flow from one scenario to another. Children who daydream have a stronger working memory. Yet, they could be labelled as inattentive or distracted by teachers and parents.

Hurry up, why are you taking so long to get ready?Well dear parents you have nothing to worry about! Except for getting ready for school in time, do give them space and time to daydream. Daydreamers are often absent minded professors like Newton and Einstein. So you may just have a genius/scientist in your home!

Here are a few points on daydreaming among children to help put your mind at ease…

• Daydreaming is not lazing around - There is a difference between laziness and daydreaming for a while. In between tasks/chores, it is normal behaviour for children to escape into their little worlds. They escape from boredom and unimaginative surroundings. That’s the reason children daydream in class! 

• Daydreaming helps in socio-emotional development -Often we hear parents say that their child is shy. Daydreaming helps shy children express themselves. Guide them into imaginative play. Help them to fantasise about different social situations and what they would talk about. This helps them to be mentally prepared and boosts their confidence. Most children daydream about something specific–it could be winning a match or performing in front of an audience. By playing out these scenes in their mind they can lower their anxiety levels.

• Daydreaming enhances creativity- Schools and parents expect their children to be imaginative and creative in their essays, projects etc. But we consider daydreaming to be a waste of time! We want our children to be part of the rat race and we do not allow them to slow down.

•  Daydreaming enhances imagination. Imagination leads to inventions and discoveries. Allow your child to blossom at his/her own pace. If they stop to stare at the rain, the clouds - let them be. Or else how would we have authors, poets, actors and entrepreneurs?

Have you forgotten to daydream? Take a few minutes to just drift off. You will find that you feel so refreshed! How wonderful were those days when we would go to our native villages during vacation. Invariably during the afternoons, my cousins and I would laze under the mango tree and stare into space. Later we would discuss our dreams and be so excited about them!

How to encourage daydreaming?

• All gadgets off - Today’s child have no time to day dream thanks to all the gadgets around. Keep aside 20 minutes on a weekend for boredom and daydreaming. Call it the ‘cloud activity’.  Instead of being in the virtual cloud, let them put their mind in the clouds above. During the 20 minutes, keep all gadgets away. Ask them to stare out of the window or go to the terrace/ balcony. No talking too. They will resist. They will crib. They may call you weird. It is alright. Parents can also accompany them in this activity. When children get bored they begin to daydream and out of it will come fantastic activities. This will be a perfect family bonding in silence! You will marvel at how refreshed you feel. Try it out.

• Reduce the activities and teach them how to day dream - Most children today are involved in too many activities. You can think of reducing at least one activity. Some children may not know how to daydream. Begin a conversation- on a favourite place they would like to go to or something they would love to do in their future- this can be starter and then ask them to think about it.

Daydreaming is a problem only if one over indulges in it. It then would need intervention.So pleasant dreams to all of you!

Did you find Swapna’s blog on daydreaming useful? How do you help your child develop their imagination and creativity? Do leave your comments…. We love hearing from you!