close
SM-Stamp-Join-1
  • Selfish Mother is the most brilliant blogging platform. Join here for free & you can post a blog within minutes. We don't edit or approve your words before they go live - it's up to you. And, with our cool new 'squares' design - you can share your blog to Instagram, too. What are you waiting for? Come join in! We can't wait to read what YOU have to say...

  • Your basic information

  • Your account information

View as: GRID LIST

MISSING: ONE IMAGINATION

1
Yesterday I found myself, on one of my non-work days, sitting in my kitchen under orders from my nearly-three year old. My orders were that I was at nursery (the kitchen) and the babies were at work (the lounge). They dropped me off and caught the bus (a convoy of yellow chairs and a Mickey Mouse car).

Nursery was pretty restrictive. I wasn’t allowed to leave, my only company was the army of teds, and I had to watch through the open door (which I could not go through) the babies at work in the lounge. They told me it was snowing at nursery too.

SelfishMother.com
2
Admittedly they treated me well. I was fed an array of plastic fruits and drank from a rainbow of empty cups. Even so, I think they got the better end of the deal.

This set up didn’t last long before they moved on to circle time for the teds, which involved putting them around the room, giving them a plastic cup each, shouting ’Good afternoon toddlers’ a lot, then singing songs.

I film most of their exploits and adventures and play them to anybody who has the misfortune to be in my company later that day. Mainly because I want to keep the

SelfishMother.com
3
memories live but also because I find it so fascinating the world they enter into in their minds. I’m in awe of their ability to create any story, any scene, any character. Aisha, my daughter, is in charge at the moment but I suspect my son, Abel, will soon begin his own stories. At the moment he is her partner in crime.

I wonder whilst I watch them, how can this richness of imagination and natural storytelling instinct stop just we become older? Why don’t we carry on creating make believe realities when we become adults? Is it because we become

SelfishMother.com
4
too aware of the realities and stresses of life? We no longer have the innocence we need to be that imaginative? Or is it because we believe we have to be serious as adults, have only adult-approved fun, so that imagination itself seems immature?

When I was a child, I was much like my daughter. I immersed myself in fantasy worlds, I wrote stories, I acted them out, and I drew others into my tales. My parents often recall being told about a time at primary school when I drew the class into my tale so expertly that the teachers took a back seat. Now,

SelfishMother.com
5
my husband and I are told at nursery of instances when Aisha has led the singing at circle time, to the point where the nursery staff stop singing and let her lead.

I remember when I was a child, I assumed everyone had a rich imaginary life.  A teacher once asked my class if we imagined visually in our heads when we read stories. One little boy said he didn’t and couldn’t. I never looked at him the same again.  I couldn’t fathom how you could read a story and not get lost in it in your head. Even now if I read a book that has been adapted

SelfishMother.com
6
into a film, I still make up my own visual images.

So I wonder how we can recapture that capacity for imagination in our every day life, rather than confine it to the worlds of writers/actors/storytellers. How can we allow it back in without the help of children, and without our grown up preoccupation with seriousness getting in the way?

Maybe we just can’t? That’s why we parents love to dip into children’s imaginary worlds every now and then – to recapture a little bit of the magic we once had?

Whilst we may have grown older (and maybe

SelfishMother.com
7
even grown up), it’s important not to lose our imaginative power. I believe we all have the capacity to enter story worlds and unlock our imaginations. There’s a lot to be said for visiting an imaginary place for a little while, in the privacy of your own head. The point is, those parallel universes are still there, underneath the mundane, serious and mature realities of adult life.  Let’s not forget them.
SelfishMother.com

By

This blog was originally posted on SelfishMother.com - why not sign up & share what's on your mind, too?

Why not write for Selfish Mother, too? You can sign up for free and post immediately.


We regularly share posts on @SelfishMother Instagram and Facebook :)

- 24 Mar 15

Yesterday I found myself, on one of my non-work days, sitting in my kitchen under orders from my nearly-three year old. My orders were that I was at nursery (the kitchen) and the babies were at work (the lounge). They dropped me off and caught the bus (a convoy of yellow chairs and a Mickey Mouse car).

Nursery was pretty restrictive. I wasn’t allowed to leave, my only company was the army of teds, and I had to watch through the open door (which I could not go through) the babies at work in the lounge. They told me it was snowing at nursery too. Admittedly they treated me well. I was fed an array of plastic fruits and drank from a rainbow of empty cups. Even so, I think they got the better end of the deal.

This set up didn’t last long before they moved on to circle time for the teds, which involved putting them around the room, giving them a plastic cup each, shouting ‘Good afternoon toddlers’ a lot, then singing songs.

I film most of their exploits and adventures and play them to anybody who has the misfortune to be in my company later that day. Mainly because I want to keep the memories live but also because I find it so fascinating the world they enter into in their minds. I’m in awe of their ability to create any story, any scene, any character. Aisha, my daughter, is in charge at the moment but I suspect my son, Abel, will soon begin his own stories. At the moment he is her partner in crime.

I wonder whilst I watch them, how can this richness of imagination and natural storytelling instinct stop just we become older? Why don’t we carry on creating make believe realities when we become adults? Is it because we become too aware of the realities and stresses of life? We no longer have the innocence we need to be that imaginative? Or is it because we believe we have to be serious as adults, have only adult-approved fun, so that imagination itself seems immature?

When I was a child, I was much like my daughter. I immersed myself in fantasy worlds, I wrote stories, I acted them out, and I drew others into my tales. My parents often recall being told about a time at primary school when I drew the class into my tale so expertly that the teachers took a back seat. Now, my husband and I are told at nursery of instances when Aisha has led the singing at circle time, to the point where the nursery staff stop singing and let her lead.

I remember when I was a child, I assumed everyone had a rich imaginary life.  A teacher once asked my class if we imagined visually in our heads when we read stories. One little boy said he didn’t and couldn’t. I never looked at him the same again.  I couldn’t fathom how you could read a story and not get lost in it in your head. Even now if I read a book that has been adapted into a film, I still make up my own visual images.

So I wonder how we can recapture that capacity for imagination in our every day life, rather than confine it to the worlds of writers/actors/storytellers. How can we allow it back in without the help of children, and without our grown up preoccupation with seriousness getting in the way?

Maybe we just can’t? That’s why we parents love to dip into children’s imaginary worlds every now and then – to recapture a little bit of the magic we once had?

Whilst we may have grown older (and maybe even grown up), it’s important not to lose our imaginative power. I believe we all have the capacity to enter story worlds and unlock our imaginations. There’s a lot to be said for visiting an imaginary place for a little while, in the privacy of your own head. The point is, those parallel universes are still there, underneath the mundane, serious and mature realities of adult life.  Let’s not forget them.

Did you enjoy this post? If so please support the writer: like, share and comment!


Why not join the SM CLUB, too? You can share posts & events immediately. It's free!

I am mum to my little chicks, Aisha, 6 and Abel, 4. Originally from Yorkshire, UK, I now live in a little town in the North West. By day, I work for myself as a freelance PA. By night, I indulge my passion for writing.

Post Tags


Keep up to date with Selfish Mother — Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media