Kids Who Daydream

I’ve always been a daydreamer, and I really enjoy it! It’s a fun way to let my imagination wander and come up with creative ideas. Daydreaming can be a great way to explore new possibilities in a lighthearted way!

Can daydreaming be a bad thing? It depends on how you define daydreaming.

If your daydreams are disrupting your daily life or are predominantly negative, you may be experiencing maladaptive daydreaming. In my opinion, this isn’t just daydreaming—it can feel like a living nightmare. If you find that this "living nightmare" is having a negative impact on your life, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional for support. But this isn't a topic that I could write about in that way, maybe because negative thoughts I just call anxiety. This is just my point of view- I am not a psychologist.

For me, daydreaming is a relaxing process involving positive, constructive, and optimistic thoughts. It allows me to fantasize about a better tomorrow and nurtures hope. Parents should recognize and encourage this positive aspect of daydreaming in their children.

If I need to define daydreaming in one word, it represents HOPE. HOPE in a better tomorrow.

When I was a little girl, I was pretty lonely since I was an only child (my parents had a full-time job, and I had very few friends).

My daughter is also an only child, so maybe daydreaming is a replacement for companionship. She has a lot of friends, but they are only sometimes available to play with her.

I am still daydreaming at a mature age. I envision what I can do in the future to improve my life in various ways. For me, daydreaming is about positive thinking regarding what lies ahead. I particularly enjoy fantasizing about future travels. I also love imagining how I would redecorate my home and dream house.

I like to fantasize about future travels

Oh, silly me! 😊 I started writing about myself instead of focusing on children who daydream.

It's actually quite good for kids to daydream. However, as a parent, I feel it's my responsibility to ensure that my daughter's daydreaming doesn’t disrupt her concentration, especially now that she has many school responsibilities.

When she was in kindergarten, her teacher described her as a "little girl with a big imagination," and I took that as a positive remark. The teacher mentioned that daydreaming helps protect a child's mind from the stress coming from the adult world. I trusted her perspective because of her experience as a professional working with children daily.

Daydreaming can significantly enhance children's creativity, assist them in processing their daily experiences, and provide a space for them to rehearse conversations with their peers.

We exist in a world overflowing with information. Modern society has become increasingly complex, presenting us with a deluge of news, stressors, and obligations. We are expected to know more, perform better, and be ready to tackle various challenges.

I often wonder how our brains manage to process all this new information. What about children? I can only imagine what they must be going through.

Daydreaming may positively affect kids' creativity.

Perhaps daydreaming offers part of the solution. It may assist kids (and adults 😊) process a significant amount of information, helping them understand it.

As a parent, however, I must ensure that my daughter doesn't daydream too much, especially in dangerous situations, like when she's in traffic. For more information, see the article "When Can Kids Walk to and from School Alone?"

Now that my daughter is 11, I believe she's learned that daydreaming is meant for "home use" only 😊. This means that once she finishes her duties at home, she can choose how to relax — whether through active play, hanging out with friends, or spending time alone, including daydreaming.

However, one thing is crucial: daydreaming has its place — at home. Can we simply turn daydreaming on and off? It's undoubtedly a complex task. My mom always told me, "When you do one thing, focus only on that. Tell yourself: I am here and doing this specific job."

It’s complex and requires effort, but consistent practice can help, at least to some extent.

Daydreaming in class

When we talk about kids who daydream, my daughter never had some huge problem with daydreaming at school. I know that she mainly concentrates on her classes (except for the history classes), then, by her admission, she looks out of the window, but just a little bit😊. I believe that daydreaming in class means that the child is bored or disinterested in a particular subject. But, if your kids have difficulty focusing in EVERY class, that's an issue you should talk to a professional about.

But let me share my experience of telling my daughter that she should pay attention in class, regardless of whether she finds a particular topic boring.

I tried to put her in the teachers' shoes.

I told her to imagine herself as a hard-working student who would like to work in a school and teach history. I asked her to imagine how much effort a student puts into studying. I told her to imagine the joy and happiness of getting a job at school. Also, I explained to her that the teacher makes an extra effort to prepare each lesson separately. The teacher tries to adapt everything he has learned to the children and invests a lot of time and energy to interest the students.

Then, I told her: "Try to imagine how the teacher feels when she comes to class and sees the children daydreaming in class and looking out the window."

She answered that the teacher must be angry, and I added, "Do you want the teacher to be mad at you?"

If you want to keep your child daydreaming for "home use" only, talk to the child about how important it is to concentrate on the current work. Also, explain, IN DETAIL, to the child the consequences of insufficient concentration on essential things.

Keep daydreaming for the "home use" only 😊

I often remind my child that daydreaming is meant for "home use" only. Setting clear boundaries helps manage her daydreaming so it doesn't interfere with important tasks.

Recently, I noticed her looking out the window while doing homework. Daydreaming during homework often reflects boredom or lack of interest.

I encouraged her to balance her time for enjoyable activities, but homework needs to be a priority. If daydreaming distracts her, she can write down her thoughts to address later. Short homework breaks are also helpful as long as they aren't too long.😀