Keepers of their Imaginations
Whether we’re at the pool or the trampoline park, my children always ask me to hold their stuff.
For the older ones, I hold watches, hats, and jewelry. For the younger ones, it’s dolls, matchbox cars, or lollipops. No matter the circumstance, scenario, or treasure, mom is the trusty keeper of all the valuable things.
They ask me to hold it because they know I will keep track of it. Whether I stow it in my pocket or in a Mary Poppins-like bag, it will be safe. I will value it for them for a time and then return it when they are ready.
I don’t know if the pool-side mom clutching a teddy bear and a Chief’s ball cap is what the Proverbs 31 writer had in mind when he wrote, “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness,” but maybe it’s not far from his intent.
Moms (and dads and grandmas) may be the keepers of things, but even more importantly, we are the keepers of our children’s imaginations. We are the gatekeepers, weighing each story, song, book, movie, and poem to see if it contains the proper amount of goodness, truth, and beauty just like we weigh their snack foods, gauging whether each calorie is nutrition dense- or not.
So, how can we hone our holding skills? No one needs another bossy blog with an opinion about magic, dragons, or Harry Potter, but here are some considerations for all of you keepers of imaginations out there:
First, make time for imagination.
I do most of my creative work in the margins of time I carve out from my daily life. The minutes I have to think at my desk are treasured minutes, away from the diaper changing, meal planning, home educating, athlete transporting activities of the day. If I benefit creatively from having margin, then my children will too.
They need time during the day that is free for them to be bored enough to imagine, to read, to create, to compose, and to build worlds of their own making. This may look like a slow-down in schedule or a putting-away of electronic devices. Maybe it means that only certain activities or toys are available during “rest hour” when imaginations are at their finest. Whatever that looks like in your routine, you can keep their imaginations safe by making time for them.
Second, supply the raw materials.
A physical space for imagination (no matter how small) can be a delight! Stock it with dress-up clothes, art supplies, empty notebooks, stickers, or toys that lend themselves to imaginative play. Nature is also a wonderful imaginative space. Maybe you have a yard where forts can be built or pinecone cafes operated, or maybe it would be better to visit a walking trail or playground. It doesn’t have to be expensive or expansive, but make a space for imagining.
Third, be willing to pass on responsibility as children age.
As a caregiver, you know that you can’t possibly hold everyone’s things. If all the children asked you to hold everything they brought, you would never enjoy the outing! As children age, it becomes necessary to hand them their watch back and say, “Why don’t you think of a safe place to put it?” This is guiding them to maturity. We can do the same with their imaginations. If we have built a good foundation of definitions for what is good, true, and beautiful, and we have taught them to think about “whatever is true, whatever is lovely…” then, we can begin to trust them to hold the decision-making about the books they read and the movies they watch.
Should children, even teens, ever be left without guidance or parameters? No. I am not advocating that at all. Instead, they should be keepers in training, learning how you evaluate your imagination decisions. How do you apply your worldview to your entertainment choices? Let them in on your process. Which brings me to…
Fourth: Make time to discuss imaginative ideas.
Talk with your children about how you decide what to read and when. Ask them about the book they just finished. Let them show you their sketches and their inventions. Take an interest in first attempts, not because they are Rembrandts but because your child needs your feedback. Your interest and your conversation matter more than awards, contests, future employment, or writing a bestseller one day. Today is the day you have to talk about what your child imagines.
Finally, ask yourself, How can I help my child apply the courage, perseverance, and beauty he or she has imagined? What real-life spaces can I give them to apply their imaginations?
From sharing artwork made from items on a nature walk with an elderly person in a nursing home to inventing yard games to play with neighbors, the possibilities are endless. Imagination beautifies real, daily life in so many ways.
So, the next time your hands are full keeping all of their stuff while they swim or play, remind yourself that their imaginations are in your hands too. Be the one who makes the time, clears the space, and provides the material so that they can flex the virtues they’re learning in story and song. Discuss it with them and then, take them places to apply what they’ve learned.
You might just be surprised to find that keeping their imaginations sparks yours.
Image by ASphotofamily
At night, she writes articles, Bible study curriculum for children, and books, including her latest novel The Winning of Lady Wisdom. You can follow her adventures at SarahDixonYoung.com
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