Dreaming...goals and aspirations

IKEA is a home furnishing store. The displays are set up to portray home living spaces: kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms etc. The furniture manufacturer is a Swedish company. 

This giagntic store is famous for serving comfort food; especially notable are the Swedish meatballs. 

Granddaughter Ashley, mother to Liam, Alex, and Charlie called and asked me to accompany her and the boys for lunch and to browse.  

Charlie just turned eight, and he waltzed right into a kitchen and selected a skillet with a photo of stir fry in it. He grabbed a spoon, chose a bowl, and began serving his mother. He said, "Wow! I never imagined this place would be so fun. I am a chef."

Alex, nine, spied a computer set up and office area. I heard him say to Charlie, "I would stop fighting with you and even share a virtual reality head set for our video games if we got this furniture. Also I want a new bed. No more bunk beds." They were negotiating ideas for their new "apartment."

Charlie replied, "Yeah, but let's get a real computer. This keyboard is just cardboard."

Liam, forever the dreamer and goal setting kid, said, "I would like this for my apartment when I move out." He stretched out and imagined his life.

 I told him he already has an apartment, his own large bedroom in the lower level of their home, which once was a guest suite complete with kitchen/bath and living area. I suggested he stay at home as long as possible before rushing to move out.

At age 12, he claims he is more than half way to being an adult.

"Yeah, Nana, you're right. I'll probably stay home until I finish school and make my first half a million. I'll stay home until I'm 23 or 26, and then I'll move out. make my next half million." Dream big my great grandson, because you ARE a great kid.

Nothing wrong with dreaming. On the way home, Charlie talked on and on about Ikea.

"This was the most fun day ever! I want to come back and play here."

 And to think, there was no admission fee, and he thought it was a hands-on play place. Doesn't take much when you use your imagination.

When I directed a summer camp years ago, I set up the LARGE public school lunch room into four areas,with four teachers: a home living center, science center for hands on science activities. Another for arts and crafts, and the 4th area was for literacy and story telling/writing and acting out our own plays. (my area.)

The 80 students (4-11 year olds) were divided into four age groups that rotated. The third age group, 8 and 9 year olds enjoyed the home living and  imaginative play area more than the other groups. 

They played dress up and  did problem solving, and really PLAYED. 

 

My theory was that they missed a stage of development because they were forced to sit at desks and do school work when they still needed to move, play, and use their imagination to create.