Sometimes it is good to take a little time out for reflections and dreams. We have created a “Me Box” to help your child review who they are, what they see, what they learn, and what they feel. You can have your child fill in the box with words, pictures cut from a magazine, or sketches. Then, fill out your “Dream Box” and talk about what your child would like to be like in 5, 10, or even 25 years. This is a great way to connect with where you are and how that fits in with where you want to go. It is a great way to understand what has meaning for your child now and what they hope for in the future. I also suggest that parents fill out the boxes and share their thoughts with their children.
We did this activity over two days. The first day, we filled out the “Me Box” and talked about how we have control over who we are. We made long lists of descriptive words, many of which we would never use! It was helpful to talk about the words that would not go in the box, as well as the words that would. I loved talking about the “feelings” box. It is easy to be surprised about what children say they feel on a regular b
asis, and very helpful to know these feelings as parents.
On the second day we filled out the “Dream Box.” We added five pictures cut from magazines and five descriptive words. I had several different types of travel magazines, a news and information magazine, a sports magazine, and a literary review magazine. We also drew some of our own pictures and found a few to print online. It was great to talk about possibilities, goals, and dreams.
You can also complete the boxes as a family, describing who you are now and who you hope to be, as a family, in the future.
In the daily grind of meals, school, homework, and activities, it is easy to forget to talk about who we are and who we hope to become. This activity will give your family a few minutes to slow down and dream together. Let me know how it goes!
