“We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open.” (Harry Edwards)

Children are necessarily naïve. If they were born with the wisdom of experience, then their imaginations would never develop, and their sense of wonder would never awaken. It’s easy to sometimes get frustrated when our kids lose track of time, or neglect their household responsibilities, or both. But, instead of thinking their distract-ability needs to be stifled, let’s think of it in a different way: it’s their dreaming that needs to be steered.

When your boy seems taken away by a fascination with the unreal, ask him for the details. What impossible creation would he like to make real? When your girl gets caught daydreaming, get curious about where she went. What fantasy situation would she love to live out?

Let’s not be so quick to teach our kids responsibility by pounding away with messages about our life in the real world.

Dare them to dream up a better one.