Exposure to Reality vs. Fantasy in the Formative Years of Children

 

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D PhD 

The formative years refer to the critical period in a child's life, typically ranging from birth to around eight years, and this period is vital for emotional, cognitive, and social development. Early childhood experiences from birth to age eight affect the development of the brain's architecture.

Brain changes reflect psychological maturity. This is a crucial and sensitive period that needs a nurturing environment and attentive care. During this time period, the child is exposed to numerous mental and emotional challenges. These challenges and experiences help to mold the child's motivation, self-regulation, empathy, problem-solving, communication, and self-esteem. Furthermore, children learn many of the skills that help them to function in society in a more effective way.

The child's learning and education create a major impact in the formative years. It is a critical window of opportunity to thrive. It provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health. A formative experience strongly influences future adult life.

A baby's brain starts developing in the womb. At just six weeks, the embryo's brain and nervous system begin to develop. The brain grows starting before birth and continuing into early childhood. The research indicates that the brain doubles in size in the first year. In the first few years of life, more than one million neural connections are formed each second. It keeps growing to about 80% of adult size by age 3 and 90%—nearly fully grown—by age 5. During this time period, exposure to positive interactions, secure attachment with the parents, and safe and supportive environments promote healthy physical and mental development.

A child’s interaction with the outer environment is most important, and it influences their brain development. The child's brain is highly plastic and responsive to change. Their experiences alter the brain structure. Fruitful and positive brain development requires a healthy and stimulating environment, adequate nutrients, and positive social interaction with attentive, reciprocal caregivers.

Stress and anxiety generating negative experiences disrupt the brain’s architecture, affecting a child’s ability to learn and grow. If a child is deprived of play, positive stimulation, and healthy interaction with their parents and caregivers, it affects their overall development with a long-lasting, detrimental impact.

Children are more able to project themselves into a fantasy world. This could be interpreted as an early defensive mechanism in children. Imagination and magical thinking are a crucial developmental phase for children. Around the age of two, children begin to play pretend. Having an imaginary companion is an example of children's pretend play. Often, they use realistic toys to mimic familiar events. This type of play helps to enhance their creativity, communication skills, and emotional regulation and improve critical thinking.

Children learn what they live. Children are able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. by the age of 3 to 5. Children often form their beliefs about reality. For some children, the lines between reality and imagination/fantasy are less clear. Between the ages of 7 and 11, children start to think more logically, and they tend to focus on realism.

As described by the famous child psychologist Jean Piaget, magical thinking is most prominent in children between ages two and seven. Young preschoolers tend to believe everything they see on TV is real. In preschool years, children's fantasy-reality differentiation undergoes significant development. According to one US-based study, four-year-old participants believed Big Bird from Sesame Street was real. In contrast, 5- to 6-year-old participants knew that Big Bird was a person wearing a costume.

Exposure to reality rather than fantasy in childhood is important. Exposure to reality prepares them for the real world! It helps them to discover “realities of life” and face life challenges with courage and determination.

Teaching children fantasy vs. reality is a challenge for the parents. Research suggests that children are more thoughtful about the differences between fantasy and reality than they may appear to adults. Children hold some clear distinction between the real and the imaginary. Children are more engaged and attentive when they see events that challenge their understanding of how reality works.

Researcher Venus Ho (2024) states that although stories for children often feature supernatural and fantastical events, children themselves often prefer realistic events when choosing what should happen in a story. Venus Ho indicates that children avoid including fantastic events in fiction and suggests that children use precedent and familiarity to decide what can happen in a story.

Children start to make sense of their world via play. Child play promotes personal growth, social connection, and engagement. Play provides children an opportunity to achieve mastery of their environment. and control it through their imagination. By engaging in play, they build physical, social, and intellectual skills. Play allows children to safely explore their fears and practice adult roles.

Children should engage in sand and mud play. Sand and mud play is good for their tactile stimulation. It is a sensory experience that enhances their tactile and cognitive development. Also, this type of play encourages exploration and creativity in them. Some experts point out that playing with sand and mud can be a calming and therapeutic experience for children.

A child learns about his environment through play with physical objects. Providing toys for children is a healthy option. When selecting toys, it's important to give them toys that appeal to their sensory-motor and intellectual needs. The toys should help the child to think, create, and imagine. Toys help to enrich play and support children's development. Furthermore, toys lay the foundation for improving cognitive and motor skills.

Some parents facilitate the children making their own toys. It stimulates creativity in children. In addition, it facilitates conceptual understanding. It gives a unique experience and satisfaction to the child.