1. Active Imagination
Almost everyone has experienced an incidence of daydreaming in their lives. Some people daydream quite frequently, while other people find it difficult not to focus on the life that is right in front of them. When children daydream, they are often simply using their imagination. Sometimes this is a very good trait for a child to have as it usually is an indication of creativity. Daydreaming can surround any number of topics, from fantastical worlds to thinking about dinner. The imagination is at work when the daydreamer visualizes many possibilities; so often, daydreaming is a very normal and healthy activity.
2. Not Paying Attention
Sometimes daydreaming can become a problem, especially for school age children. Many parents report children whose attention span is constantly focused on some inner reality and not on the lesson or situation at hand. Learning to get a child to postpone their active imagination until they have finished dealing with their responsibilities is important to help them succeed in school and life after school.
3. Expression Is Important
A child's daydreaming can be a wonderful way to express themselves creatively at an appropriate time. Often daydreamers will find that writing, drawing, playing music or pretending are wonderful ways to express their fantasy worlds in a concrete way. Encouraging a child to be expressive and creative using their daydreaming abilities is a great way to foster positive involvement with their inner life and help them to focus more when they need to, such as at school.
4. Abnormal Daydreaming
Some children use daydreaming in order to escape their reality because what is real is undesirable or disturbing to them. This condition is often referred to as disassociation and should be dealt with by a knowledgeable psychological professional. Abused or emotionally disturbed children sometimes retreat into an inner world to cope with the demands of the outer world. It's important to remember that daydreaming is normal, and some children do it more than others. However when a child's attention is almost primarily focused inward, an investigation of more pertinent psychological or emotional issues may be necessary.
5. Escape From Boredom
Many daydreamers report that they do so because they are simply bored with what is going on in front of them. Children who frequently daydream find that once they are engaged by stimulating external stimuli, like an exciting teacher, lesson, game or project, they will gladly return to engage the world. Some spaced out kids are simply gifted or above average and need more engagement from parents and teachers to stay challenged and involved with their environments. Parents should find manageable but challenging activities with which children can engage their minds and that will help them concentrate.
