Pretend games
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Anonymous
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My 5.5 year old is very into pretend games. “We’re baby lions”, “let’s pretend we’re farmers”, “let’s play spaceship”, etc. I mean it is nearly constant. I get that he has a great imagination and that is important but I am concerned that he is rarely in the moment. Yes, if he is learning about something - like listening to a guide through the natural history museum or at school (9 to 3 preK) - he’s present and listening but I think it’s important that he lives in reality a little more.
Am I wrong? How to I suggest him living in the now? |
Anonymous
| It’s normal and good for him. Don’t sweat it. But you can try to engage in activities less amenable to pretend- help cooking, play a game or sport, etc. mine is the same way and I find it tedious but I will probably miss it some day. |
Anonymous
| This is not something to worry about with a 5-year-old. Maybe when he's 15. Definitely when he's 25. |
Anonymous
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Yes, you're wrong. He's in the present as much as necessary.
I was always in my head as a child. Wildly creative, always making up stories, inserting myself into sitcoms I watched, acting out pretend auditions, and on and on. When I needed to be, I was in the moment. Now as an adult, I have a very vivid imagination with multiple running story lines. But I have a child, a full-time job, friends, volunteer, etc. I'm fine. Your son is fine. |
Anonymous
| My four year old has a very active imagination too and plays pretend games all the time. He also makes up new types of animals and names them with "words" that sound like they could be legitimate (e.g. he's currently on a kick talking about a bird-like creature named "brental"). I love it and play along, never occurred to me to be concerned. |
Anonymous
| This is a good thing. Don’t squash his creativity. |
Anonymous
| You are completely wrong. |
Anonymous
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Role-playing is one of the most important ways kids learn.
https://www.pbcexpo.com.au/toddler/toddler-development/reasons-why-role-playing-is-important-for-your-child/ |
Anonymous
| Please don't break him of this. |
Anonymous
This is a great article! I get so tired of playing Dino-trucks with my son but I can see how important it is to him. But talk about exhausting! |
Anonymous
| I am a teacher and I say let him be in pretend world! As long as the baby lion is still brushing his teeth and Superman still gets his chores done, this is not a problem. If you’re really that concerned about it not being educational, as he gets older and able to write, encourage him to write down these stories he has in his head. For now, encourage him to draw them, or at least draw the character. But for now, its really okay to let him pretend and use his imagination. Too soon these kids only want screens. Put that off as long as you can. |
Anonymous
Agree! ——parent and teacher |
Anonymous
| Nurture that imagination before the world saps it away from him |
Anonymous
| He is in the moment! That’s what playing is! |
Anonymous
| That's how kids process information. They absorb a bunch of stuff, then plug everything into different situations and scenarios in order to better understand how it all works. |