Much of the magic of childhood is related to Christmas. My son, so practical and wise, decided while lounging in the bathtub at age 5 that Santa Claus was just not logical; so he asked me and I told him the truth. I guess I should have prepared a good story, but I was so taken aback that all I could say was "yes, you're right".
But, you know, I've found that knowing about Santa doesn't take away the magic at all. You can still pretend and that's just as fun. By the way, I know Santa Claus is real because I saw him in the sky when I was nine. I swear it's true. The outline of the sleigh and the reindeer in the sky over Jackson, Mississippi was quite distinct. I'm still looking for anyone else in the area that Christmas Eve night in 1966. If you were there and can confirm my story please contact me.
Even though my 11 yr. old son and my 8 yr. old daughter do not believe in Santa Claus any more, we still listen for the reindeer hooves on the roof on Christmas Eve and sprinkle reindeer food for them on the lawn. We leave cookies and Coke and Dr. Pepper out for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph.
Karen
And from another reader:
When my children were young, I felt like "make-believe" was as important as any other lesson learned in childhood -- for a child without a healthy imagination has no dreams, and a child without dreams grows up into an adult without hopes.
Hope is essential to the human spirit -- as I am sure we all agree.
To this end, we played a lot of games in which we all agreed, for example, that there was no such thing as Santa Claus -- and I made sure they knew the truth very young -- but we PRETENDED like we believed well past an age when most people would have stopped. I still, to this day, label everything in their stockings as "from Santa" -- and we discuss most straight faced that they must be good if they aren't going to get sticks and stones.
One reader really focused my attention on the importance of the creative arts for nurturing the imagination.
I also think that writing, drawing (or other artwork) and music are extremely important in creativity and imagination. I've always loved to write -- when I was younger I enjoyed writing fiction, haven't tried my hand at that lately -- but I think that expressing yourself through words, music, and art are essential, without guidelines or criticism.
I agree with this visitor that reading is great for building imagination and creativity. It certainly has been the primary inspiration in my life from a young age.
I have to say that I think one of the most important ways to build imagination and creativity is to read. I try to read to my daughter every day, because I know that when I was young (don't have time to read for myself much, anymore) reading was a way to "escape" into another world. And regarding fairy tales: We read fairytales, every kind, and played lots of "what if" games with the stories. "What if you were a princess in a story, which story would it be?"
Yes, magic can definitely be found in the small events of life, too. Listening to the ocean in a seashell, watching shooting stars while lying on a blanket in the backyard in August, seeing a big pumpkin moon on the horizon in October, the first blanket of pure white snow, the enjoyment of a family meal lovingly prepared, building an awesome treehouse, seeing a row of perfect tulips on Easter morning, singing and dancing with abandon in the kitchen, working together on a craft or building project, reading Winnie the Pooh together. There's magic all around us. The trick is to slow down, focus on the moment, and find the beauty and peace that is waiting to be experienced.
Share your comments on ways to keep magic in your child's life.
