It may seem like the typical single parent has to be a constant pragmatist–after all, we do have to deal with the every day realities of family life without much respite. Plus, many of us may have suffered through the shattering or shifting of our dreams and it can be tough to muster up the courage to revisit those dreams or figure out what we want our lives to look like now. Despite all those realistic realities–I do think that daydreams, fantasy and imagination can be important coping and inspirational tools for a single parent.
I’m not talking about living a fantasy or staying submerged in denial here–instead I’m talking about loosening up a little and allowing ourselves to experience some daydreams now and again. We may have convinced ourselves that dreaming has caused us grief, or that we need to “grow up” and live in the real world. Okay, we do need to be grown-ups and we do need to take care of business in the real world, but we need some inspiration and motivation at the same time. Cherishing dreams, imagining how things could be better or more like what we want, and fantasizing about how we could handle things or who we’d like to be can all be healthy ways of adjusting to single parenting and planning for the future.
Who do you want to be? Where do you see yourself five years from now? What sort of parent do you imagine you would like to evolve into? How do you see your kids growing up? All of these little daydreams and fantasies can be ways of getting your mind out of the drudge of daily details and imagining a better world and a more evolved version of yourself and your life. Indulging a little fantasy can be a productive coping and motivating activity for any single parent.
Also: What Can You Leave Behind?
Dealing with Invisible Demons and Made-Up Problems