How childhood imagination creates successful adults
Successful adults don't just happen. They are children who grew up in a safe environment where imaginations were encouraged to run wild. Of course, other more specific skill sets are necessary to make it in the "real world." But if you want your child to have a strong foundation for success early on, feed their imagination. And watch them soar.
1. Imagination teaches kids how to solve problems.
Sure, the problems children create in pretend play may involve dinosaurs in a stampede through a city and dolls who can't cook. But the basic requirement of problem solving is still present: something needs to be fixed, and your child comes up with a solution. This practices their ability to recognise a problem and then think of how to fix it by themselves.
Use imagination to practice problem-solving: Enjoy story time. Make up a story and stop right at the moment after the hero encounters a crisis. Let your child take up the story then, and stop at another problem he makes up. Take turns telling the story until the hero has solved all his problems! (Remember not to interrupt your child with solutions which, to your adult mind, make more sense. Outlandish solutions, as long as they solve a problem, are welcome here.)
2. Imagination teaches kids how to be independent.
Successful grown-ups can think and act by themselves. Foster self-reliance early on by challenging you child's imagination, which, in a way, teaches him to stand on his own feet. Children who believe in themselves grow up to create what's never been created before, just because they know that they can do it, no matter how difficult it can seem.
Use imagination to be independent: The next time your child complains of boredom, give them objects that will challenge their imagination without giving instructions on how to play with them. You'd be surprised at the things they come up with by themselves. For instance, old cardboard rolls of tissue make great telescopes or, when taped together, swords. The key is to leave your child to figure out by themselves how to entertain themselves.
3. Imagination teaches kids how to be creative.
There's no doubt that creativity in the workplace, even one in a highly corporate setting, is an asset. Being creative is what keeps a professional from burning out from a ho-hum job. It's also what helps employers be compassionate bosses, and employees work with initiative. And of course, in a creative office, creativity is what makes people stay.
Use imagination to practice creativity: Introduce your child to open-ended activities, such as building with bricks and empty boxes, playing dress-up, role-playing. Fill a space in your house with objects that your child can use to do these activities. Put in a crate of building blocks; hang some old clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories, and install a mirror; fill a shelf with items your child can "buy" at the supermarket.
4. Imagination teaches kids to deal with unexpected situations.
Being flexible is a trait many employers appreciate in their staff. The ability to come up with Plan B after Plan A falls through is something even children in school need. And what better way to teach this to your child than to guide them to use their imagination when they have to deal with disappointment?
Use imagination to learn how to cope with unexpected situations: Help your child put together a domino sculpture. Before you finish, the sculpture will most probably fall apart at least once. When that happens, be encouraging and let your child figure out if he wants to rebuild the same way or build it another way. Patience is key here, as well as the ability to imagine new steps after a fall.
