When I was in Year 1, five or six years old, our teacher read us a story about toys coming alive at night. I remember believing that and talking to my favourite toy every night. One time, I told my dad that I was going to remember exactly how my toys were arranged, so that I could check in the morning to see if they’d moved.
Well, naturally, in the morning they were exactly as I’d left them. I told my dad and he admitted that he had planned on moving them but had forgotten to. (To be honest, I probably would have freaked out if they were different the next morning!)
Even after my dad told me that, I still believed that my toys could come alive. I can’t even remember when I stopped or why. I guess I just gradually grew out of it.
Looking back, it does seem pretty incredible that I did think that way. But for children, things like that do seem possible. We grow up with stories about Santa, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy, so why couldn’t toys come alive?
It seems kind of sad how we give up these childish fantasies as we grow up and become more practical. Anything seemed possible then.
Anyway, I was wondering what childhood fantasies other people had? Or if anyone was affected like I was by a story? What were you afraid of then that seems ridiculous now? (I used to have bad dreams about giants, possibly the reason why I ended up being short…)
And as a sidenote, I wonder if there is a whole generation of children who’ve had the same affect from ‘Toy Story’? Or have felt bad about neglecting their toys?
Cya,
Erin.
| 3.8 (1 person) |
Comments
Are you really sure you grew out of it *hehe*.
But in seriousness, I do not remember a lot of my childhood for various reasons. I used to get really scared thinking there were ghosts and the like. The idea of ghosts affected me for quite a few years to be honest.
So I guess it is really interesting as a kiddlywink our imagination can be both a benefit (in that we can dream of things that as adults we dismiss in a heartbeat) and a curse in that it can scare us to no end.
I will have to have a better think and see if I can come up with something more ideas of where my imagination took me as a child.
Stuart
Bex (Who am I?) on 29 July, 2008 at 8:11 pm #
I remember thinking that rats and other scary things lived under my bed at night (of course I used to play under it sometimes during the day). For a long time at night when I went to bed I would switch off the light at the doorway and then run and jump onto my bed so nothing could grab my feet!
I agree with you about childrens imaginations and totally think adutls don’t fantasise enough. I guess that’s why I have a new adventure every night in my dreams. You wouldn’t believe the stuff that goes on in dream land (remember the helicopter?!)
And as a final input of opinion I also think it’s sad how as a kid most of us weren’t scarred of anything - until we learned it from someone else: parents, siblings, friends, television… pretty sad really that fears are [for the most] conditioned, learned things which can so easily be prohibited by peers and adults being more aware of this…
Great blog Erin
Cheers
xo Bex
|
|
3.8 (2 people) |
Thanks for the comment Bec! I think its true how kids learn to be scared of things. There are things I think you need to know to be wary of for your own safety, like fire, but of course it depends on how you are taught this. Definitely do think kids would find a lot of things on tv scary - how careful are parents of what their children watch? And how do you even know what would scare a child? I remember being scared of Alice in Wonderland (the Queen of Hearts), Never Ending Story 2 and Return to Oz - and they were all made for kids. Guess it comes down to watching out for them while still letting them be kids.
Erin.
|
|
3.8 (1 person) |
Bex (Who am I?) on 29 July, 2008 at 9:07 pm #
Hmmm yeah I think that also has a lot to do with imagination, what kids themselves choose to be scared of. But when parents go n say stupid things like “eew a spider” and show fear instead of courage, well eventually it can rub off on the kids. kinda dumb coz lots of spiders are harmless and actually help you by eating flies n other insects. And people who are afraid of mice, come on what’s up with that?! I know of someone who is scared of birds… I don’t get it!
Anyway it’s nice to beable to share my thoughts and opinions. Will get to the rest later
cya
xo
|
|
2.5 |
| 
Designed By : 
More skins at : 