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What are unrealistic dreams?
They are dreams that are out of the norm and may be seen as highly unattainable due to the difficulties involved. One example of an unrealistic dream is becoming the most famous Youtube star at the age of 18.
With the advancement of social media, such dreams from young children are not unheard of. If we encourage them and they cannot achieve these aspirations, they will be devastated. Whereas if we stop it at an early stage, it might affect our children’s confidence.
What should you do?
Don’t Squash the Dream
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The most crucial point is to not squash your child’s dream. It might be unrealistic, but you mustn’t discredit or undermine their aspirations.
Sure, you might have a good reason for it like protecting them from future disappointments. But crushing your child’s dream only lowers their self-esteem levels, and it will negatively affect your relationship with your child.
And who knows, it might work out in the end. Take Dyson’s creator – James Dyson for example. Despite other people thinking that it was impossible to make the cyclone vacuum, he still did it!
Be Open About Your Own Dreams
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When we were young, we had our own dreams – and I’m sure some of them were unrealistic too. Use this opportunity to share them with your children! Talk about those dreams you had before and discuss how and why they did or didn’t work out.
If you achieved that dream, use this chance to talk about the different paths you had to take to get to where you are now. Talk about your experience to give your child an idea of what they need to do to achieve their dream.
This way, it might help them consider whether their dream is achievable for them or not. It is also a good way for you and your child to spend time together and bond.
Embrace the Support Role
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The best thing you can do for your child is to show them your continuous support. Show them that you are always there for them, ready to encourage them and praise them when they achieve their goals.
You don’t have to fork up money for multiple lessons on a certain skill (you can, but it is not compulsory). Just do something simple like going to their competition games or telling them “good job!” when their teacher says they improved in something.
A little goes a long way, and when you do this, you motivate your child and your bond with them will strengthen.
Provide Education
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Providing your child education is a great way to let your child try out various activities and see if they actually like them. This gives them a chance to try working towards achieving their dreams and it also shows your support for them.
For example, if your child’s unrealistic dream is to be the best pianist in the world, then find them a qualified piano teacher, let them take part in masterclasses, or even let them go overseas!
If your child realises they don’t like it or don’t wish to pursue it, they still gain something from it. They meet new people and get to learn more about achieving dreams and aspirations.
Let Them Fail
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It’s okay to fail. Yes, we don’t want them to experience the negative feelings that come with failure. But we shouldn’t stop them from trying to achieve their unrealistic dreams.
This is a great opportunity for a learning experience. Especially when they learn to persevere and pick themselves up despite facing failure. Not to mention that this attempt might turn out successful!
We just need to let them try and support them along the way instead of hindering their journey.
Conclusion
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As parents, it is our responsibility to show support and encourage our children, especially so if they have an unrealistic dream.
Sure we might fear that they’ll fail and never get back up again, but remember that children are more resilient than we give them credit for.
I hope that this article helps you support your child and help guide them when they have unrealistic dreams for the future.
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