Balancing..Reality and Spirituality with your children.

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

RedWood	16 Dec 2002
Recently My son has started seeing My dragan, my guys dragon.. He is 3 years old..As he grows, he is probably going to see more. How do you balance the real world and that world? Other people do not see the same things..Any suggestions..Am i being clear?

Laurel	16 Dec 2002
Talk about the dragon-seeing encouragingly and listen to his stories and ideas supportively. Take him outside and to places to engage his critical thinking as well.... nourish his curiousity and imagination but teach him to think for himself and not accept everything he sees and hears as the truth. Laurel

Cerulean	16 Dec 2002
I enjoyed the strong sweetness and imagination of my nephews and friends' children under five, but their fears also were quite big to them too. Our family encouraged us to explore our creativity in art projects. One of the best things for us was to encourage drawing and coloring. My parents allowed us children to tell the adults the story that they see in the pictures. Even the few nightmares that I remember, I drew them out. Gradually, I grew to understand that others did not always see what my imagination saw---unless I drew it, wrote it and then told them as clearly as I could. I also learned that even if I couldn't own a horse, I could read and draw about them and that became a good thing. Other girls liked horses, so we shared ideas and we drew them together. If the child doesn't like to draw stories, sometimes the coloring books have pictures that help start the storytelling exchange. If it is dragons for you and yours, then songs and rhymes about dragons and the stories that come out of it--well, they are part of your family exchanges. What a lovely thing to share among yourselves. If others outside of your family and friends don't have dragons to share and wonder what you are doing---you can say that have a family thing that is fun for you and yours. It gives you a theme for his stories and ideas and creative growth---and can encourage reading and art skills. Hope the idea helps. Mari H.

RedWood	16 Dec 2002
Very nice Mari! My son loves dragon tales..an loves to draw..and loves storytelling and singing.. I Love the part about.. "its a family thing" That I will remember..Thank you! and to you also Laurel..Very good advice!

Alissa	18 Dec 2002
Red, my son Zane loves Dragon Tales and is gathering dragons around him already, I can tell! I never knew we had this in common, how FUNNY ((((RedWood)))))))) I totally understand what you mean though, about finding that balance. I am hoping to figure the same out for our own family, and don't know how to approach a balance of both. On one hand, I want him to stay connected for as long as he can to those experiences and these kinds of connections, because they are *golden*. But, I want him to still function and deal with life in reality as well -- that is, life as most of us see it. So even though I don't have much to add, I'm curious about others' experiences and hoping more will comment. I'm hoping that I can be as honest, truthful and encouraging as I can be. Example, "I've never seen a Faerie/Dragon, but I keep hoping someday I might." An open mind, that is important too, but that comes more with time I guess.

sagitarian	19 Dec 2002
I'm a mother of three children. My husband and I agreed that it's really important to teach our children about as many things as we can including spirituality. My oldest daughter has a boy that comes around her and plays with her often. I've even seen him myself walking around, checking on the kids, and hear them playing in her room. She doesn't name him or say anything really about him. I know that he's a spirit (ghost) whatever you want to title them. I don't "talk" about it with her only b/c she doesn't know one way or the other what he is really, and frankly, it doesn't matter. They enjoy playing together, and it's been great to have his energy around. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I teach her about spirituality, but I feel if I make a big deal out of it by talking about it, then she will know that it's a big deal when it's not. Just something that is there and is natural, just as natural as the tree. I teach her about plants, but I don't make a big deal that there's a tree outside, however she gets excited when she sees a tree...same thing I think. I really loved the idea as well that it's a family thing, and to encourage self expression and curiousity as well as art by drawing out what you imagine. I plan on just letting my children show me what they are interested in (like you did with yours with dragons) and then go from there. Besides, how odd is it that a child likes dragons, I mean, if there's a cartoon like dragon tales, and children love dinosaurs and things of the sort, then why would it be so odd that he's so focused on dragons? Maybe it's just me, but even if I wasn't spiritual, I really don't think that I would think anything of it if I saw a child that was interested in dragons, or fairies. I was into unicorns when I was little and still love them. I used to travel to different planes and play with them all the time. don't know if this helped, but I was just trying to express another view point on the subject. Good luck to ya!

RedWood	19 Dec 2002
Very good Point Sagitarian...I just dont want him to get so lost in spirituality he wont recgonize reality..I am not worried right now..It is something I keep in the back of mymind. For when he gets older and really enters the "real world". Unfortunately it is a harsh world out there..I want him to have an open mind. But also.he needs to be able to protect himself..As I said..this is for when he gets much older...For now..it is a back burner..and I just let him enjoy life!

The Balancing..Reality and Spirituality with your children. thread was originally posted on 16 Dec 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.