Terry..You made me look up Churlish..LOL!!..I wrote what I thought..People don`t always reply the way you think they will..Do you want to hear what you want,or what your reader thinks about your post?..4 girls and 3 boys,thats nice..The way you write about them sounds like you really love them..Enjoy...OUTLAW
BALANCING the differences between IMAGINATION and what is REAL in kids
by Terry 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Terry
since 11-Oct-01 Terry..You made me look up Churlish..LOL!!..I wrote what I thought..People don`t always reply the way you think they will..Do you want to hear what you want,or what your reader thinks about your post?..4 girls and 3 boys,thats nice..The way you write about them sounds like you really love them..Enjoy...OUTLAW No, don't misunderstand me--I find it fascinating when people respond emotionally. Especially when what they are replying to is rather banal.
I value my kids more than anything else in my life. I see them every day.
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OUTLAW
Banal/Trite/Worn out..If this subject is worn out..Why would it interest you to post it..It obviously means something to you..You certainly didn`t like my response..It`s not trite to you it would seem..LOL!!...OUTLAW
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Terry
Banal/Trite/Worn out..If this subject is worn out..Why would it interest you to post it..It obviously means something to you..You certainly didn`t like my response..It`s not trite to you it would seem..LOL!!...OUTLAW
My assertions about fantasy and the possible harm of too much dwelling on imagination for children is a banal presentation. What I find fascinating is the way people "read into" my posts more than is there and then respond emotionally to their own interpretations.
If you read over the 2 year old posts you'll see people getting bent out of shape as though I had attacked motherhood, the flag and apple pie.
That was most enlightening!
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lowden
How much an adult becomes lost in fantasy is mostlydown to the type of person that they are, such as an addictive or obsessive individual.
Sounds like predestination.
Are you saying we have no control at all over developing useful vs wasteful habits?
Training and a strict regimen builds athletes and musicians, why does it fail in our leisure pursuits?
Terry, i think that the idea behind teaching our children (not trying to patronise here) is that we do it hand in hand with their age and how their brains are developing.
True, Mozart composed and played his first opus at the age of 4 but he was a freak!
Fiction is beautiful but each individual must know where it stops and as i said, that is MOSTLY down to the type of person we are.
Please don't tell me you were reading your kids Freud and/or Jung at bedtime!!??
I love listening to BBC Radio 4 and soaking in the reading of some gorgeous piece of fiction. Do ya know what.....?...sometimes i lose myself in it
We will be who we will be in the end. What extent a parent plays as to shaping their child, i'm not altogether sure.
Peace
Lowden
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jstalin
Terry,
I had an incredibly active imagination when I was a kid. I constructed and lived in my own fantasy worlds when I was alone. At the same time, I knew full well it was all a fantasy. I don't think encouraging a child to use their imagination is a bad thing. I think it is bad when fantasy is presented as reality, such as religion, santa claus, or virtuous politicians :P
I agree with you that kids spend way too much time today playing games, watching TV, etc. These activities don't really involve any amount of critical thinking and I think the time is spent at the expense of important activities in life. I don't have any kids yet, but when I do have them, they won't be watching TV (much) and they won't be playing many video games. Kids are meant to play, and mine will certainly learn to love reading.
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Terry
I don't think encouraging a child to use their imagination is a bad thing. I think it is bad when fantasy is presented as reality, such as religion, santa claus, or virtuous politicians :P
Precisely!
Being able to distinguish where the boundry line is between what IS and what isn't is the key issue and not fantasy or imagination per se.
There are so many boundry lines in life that can be fuzzy.
Knowing where friendship or desire ends and love begins.
Knowing where trust ends and gullibility begins.
Knowing where fact ends and conjecture begins.
The list is endless.
What is particularly tricky about fantasy is the emotional component. There is a comfort level that is quite high when you are able to fantasize a simulated enviornment for fulfillments.
Marriages become threatened, for example, when a man becomes attracted to pornography and the ease and comfort of satisfaction is intense due to the fantasy heightening of getting exactly what you desire whenever you want it.
Reality is not so nearly as accomodating!!
The Santa Claus problem begins with a well intentioned white-lie. It is supposed to be fun and excitement. But, what does it begin with a conspiracy to fool the child about the personhood of a fantasy? Creepy.
I told my kids from the very beginning of their widdle lives that Santa Claus was make-believe. It never hurt their enjoyment of Christmas. I wasn't going to squelch Xmas for them by non-participation, but; I wanted them to know the score.
They have been quite fascinated by how their friends have intense defense mechanisms about the "reality" of Santa. It has been most instructive as an analogy for religious faith.