Let's Pretend!

One of Little Man's favorite phrases lately is, "Let's pretend.."  Sometimes the phrase is followed by, "I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to myself" -- although a moment later I'm obviously expected to be part of the conversation.  Little Man's stories certainly run the gamut, from tales of heroic acts to ferocious bear hunts to mysterious worlds on the other side of the cracks in our fence.  He talks of his older sister and what her life must be like, as well as reporting the goings on of his daycare friends.  He is quite insistent that his version of the world is true, and there are times where perhaps that would be preferable.

This type of creativity is something teachers like to call "a rich inner life".  At this age it's beautiful and entertaining look at a developing mind.  Many argue that the structure of education and its path to college or career prioritizes logic over whimsy, even as more and more businesses find that creative thinkers are the ideal. At its worst, Little Man's flights of fancy bear no malicious intent; it's not a lie, you see, but a script in the process of being written.  I've started asking as many questions as I can in an effort to build his ability to explain and elaborate (occupational hazard), and I'm pleased that he is starting to answer more rather than default to "I don't know".  The details can veer towards the silly, but that's part of the fun.

There is something to envy about not worrying about how others view him in imagination mode -- he has no hesitation wearing his Spider-Man mask to the hardware store or creating a dialogue between his monster trucks as they race around the room.  The jump from idea to idea is also impressive; there's no worry about continuity or comprehension.  The confidence of a toddler's life vision is unmatched.

Keep on pretending, Little Man.  Maybe don't pretend some of the important stuff (like that you actually do have your shoes on when we have to leave, rather than wearing a pretend pair), but don't ever let anyone else dull your creative shine.