FUN FRIDAY--PRETENDING

You don't always have to be yourself...

THE MEMORY

When I was a kid, we had three trees in our front yard that my brother and I used for our fort. Or a school house. Or his mechanic shop or rock band.

Inside the three trees, we were anything we wanted to be--and we were good at it. Sometimes we encountered problems, but we also solved them. Often our solutions involved ridiculous scenarios, like teaching the children of superheroes. Superhero’s kids had a hard time sitting still because they were always trying to save something.

Honestly, I don’t remember what all our scenarios were, but I do remember that my brother changed his name to Scott for all of our pretend. I was much too practical to change my name. I think I’d do it differently now.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRETENDING

A friend that I met at a conference messaged me this week about how she was pretending with her granddaughter. (Thanks, Becky!) It reminded me of how fun pretend is (and was!) and the laughs it produces.

As a child is growing and developing, pretending creates the building blocks for problem solving, abstract and symbolic thinking, and encourages language and communication. Socially, pretending builds confidence, social skills, emotional regulation, and empathy. Even therapists use pretend sometimes to help people unlock what they are unable to verbalize.

While pretending is imperative for growth, it’s full on fun as well. Kids don’t think about how their neural pathways are being influenced. They are too busy creating and laughing.

As a writer and a type A personality, it’s easy for me to slip into the thought patterns of what needs to happen and forget to enjoy the process of creativity. However, one of the things I love about writing the most, is pretending. It’s what I need to create and to stop my inner critic. As writers, we get to step into someone else’s shoes and see the world from a different perspective.

PRETENDING TODAY

Yet pretending isn’t just helpful for writers--it’s helpful in life. When we get stuck in problems that seem to have no way out, imagining favorable outcomes and how to get there builds bridges to the impossible. Our Creator gave us brains to think outside the box and pretending helps us get there.

Imagination and pretending aren’t just for developing kids, but the our inner child that lives inside of us as adults. What about you? Do you ever pretend? Do you find it fun?

If you’re not sure where to start, grab an every day item, like a pot or pan, and ask, “What else could this be?” A drum? A hat? Or???