Photo by Kindel Media
Do you know how much of a wonder the world inside a child’s mind is? The fantastic cycles within it? The boundless imagination? The endless fabulousness? It’s where everything is turned into a loop and pulled inside out, where reality and fantasy slam into each other, and where the simple becomes extraordinary and the marvelous becomes commonplace.
The universe inside a child’s head is what transforms boxes into spaceships, sticks into hero’s swords, puddles into vast oceans, and four walls into its own reality full of dwarves and trolls and whatever else you can throw into it. That’s why it’s so important to nourish this aspect of your child. It’s a testament to the potential of human creativity and the power that the mind has, especially in its formative years, to conceive of a dynamic world.
That’s exactly what happens in The Dinglehopper Blueberry Belly-Button Snooter, a story about two young sisters by Chris Cochrane.
Are you ready to jump into the vibrant inner lives of children?
Photo by Claudia Ferrer
The Fantabulous Inner World
We may not always see it this way, but the mind of a child is a veritable sponge. It’s got a knack for taking everything in. Children want to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch everything around them to earn fodder for the brain and to breed ravenous questions inside it. A child’s brain soaks everything around it, forming associations and connections, reshaping perspectives, and combining ideas. It’s a brilliant organic machine.
All in a loop. This, that, this, that, again and again. Inside the head of a child, whole universes are constantly being created and remade. This is why they are often so restless, always asking questions here and there about this and that—never relenting until their curiosity is sated. From the moment they are aware of the world around them, children want to know more about it, and there’s almost nothing that can stop them. And that’s okay. That’s great, even. It’s the most important thing in the world to indulge the curiosity of a child—within reason, of course—we don’t want you allowing your child to check the inside of a bear’s mouth, for instance!
Inside a Child’s Mind: Imagination
When we grow older, a part of us likes to think that imagination is good but it has to reined in. Isn’t that why we often use “daydreaming” as an insult? Perhaps, it is because the brain slows down with age or something, but there is an association with imagination as a pastime. This is not entirely a fair assessment, especially with children.
When a child is lost in imagination or “daydreaming,” they are, in effect, developing their cognition further, creating and solving problems within their imaginary worlds. They are also practicing how to engage with people by creating scenarios in their head. Imagination is also a means by which they can better express themselves. Language skills are also boosted through imagination. In short, a child daydreaming shouldn’t be reprimanded. They should be given a stage to express their imaginations.
Photo by Tuấn Kiệt Jr.
When children are given free rein to daydream, you can bet that a lot of things will become possible in the future.
Inside a Child’s Mind: Nourishment
As adults, we may not be as imaginative and creative as children, so it falls to us to nurture and encourage them as responsibly as possible. You don’t need to go wild and drop them into the wilds or anything like that. You just need to facilitate their sessions for daydreaming, guiding them properly without being too intrusive, and giving them as much freedom as possible without them hurting themselves. Instead of just letting the ambient world around them kickstart their imagination, you can provide opportunities, too. Engage with kids when they’re actively interested in things. Learn with them along the way, and don’t dismiss their questions—even if you think they’re dumb. Not all questions have to be dumb.
The Fantabulous Outer World
For how great the world inside a child’s mind is, it will eventually fade away or flee into the background. It still only exists within the mind, and the outer “real” world is much peskier when it comes to taking your attention. Yet, what the inner world was will never truly go away.
Chris Cochrane’s The Dinglehopper Blueberry Belly-Button Snooter is sold in all major online bookstores. Click this link to start ordering a copy now and see more of Chris’s works.
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