Young ones, they are the true dreamers.
In particular, my little sister is a dreamer. She is 10 years old, and as to each their own as they come. She is sporadic and off the cuff of her sleeve in decision making and behavior. She analyzes situations in such a way that I never have been able to, even as an adult. She dreams big, dreams crazy, but to her, it is purely realistic.
She is a tom boy. She likes more "boy"-related things and has a more "boy" personality. She is aggressive, fierce, sassy, and knows what she wants. She will do something as simple as watch a TV show, and take so much from it, apply it to her own life, and work on it. She will grow her ideas and passions fiercely.
She has had many "stages". And these stages, well they are far from typical for an 8, 9, 10 year old kid. From the gold mining stage, to the bounty hunter stage. She lets her dreams consume her and her every thought. She puts time, effort, and consideration into her dreams. She owns every Alaskan gold mining Lego set made I am pretty sure. She owns cases of "gold" and other minerals, and Gold Rush was probably the most watched show On Demand at my house. From that phase to the next, Bounty Hunting, she put forth all her efforts.
Her inspiration for Bounty Hunting came from the reruns on A&E of Dog the Bounty Hunter. She was enthralled with the high speed activity and dangerous missions they went on. She even dressed up as Dog the Bounty Hunter for a day at school. She had the idea to start a fund for her "bounty hunting gear".
From watching her evolve into the person she is, I have learned many things from it and how to apply that to kids of my own, or younger kids that I mentor throughout the years.
Never crush their dreams. Because young minds dream big, we should always water the dreams to grow like a garden. We should encourage these dreams to flourish.
Never laugh at their ideas. They may say some off the wall things, but we should never let on that we find them silly, not important, or unrealistic.
Support their dreams in any way you can. Help them build, create, and think up ways to enhance their dreams, hobbies, or ideas.
Educate yourself on their passions. You have a child who likes the weather? They are fascinated by it, watch the weather channel with them. Download apps on your device for them to access different weather stations. Showing a small interest can go a long way. They will see you want to learn more about the things they love.
Be open. Be open to change, be open to a "girl liking boy stuff" and vice versa. Embrace the uniqueness of their passions.
