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TigMac t1_j5hqvvp wrote

My kid wanted to play, so he grabbed a toy sword and a bow and arrow. We went outside to fight the bad guys. I thought as a grown man I haven't pretended to play in 20 years. It was wonderful to be a child again. He tells me things all the time that my robot brain tells me that can't happen or be. I am learning to let it go and enjoy the fun again. My suggestion is to be around some kids. They know how to have fun.

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[deleted] t1_j5i6g3r wrote

We have some old abandoned train tunnels with graffiti out the back. I had to convince my son to get off the gaming console and come out for a walk with me.

First word out of my mouth when we saw those tunnels was "goblinsssss!"

It's amazing how just a tiny little word like that can make someone annoy you to going for walks every day

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agent_wolfe t1_j5ihk7z wrote

Ah. In my 30s, unfortunately I don’t have any younglings around to teach me these things. My little nephew isn’t talking yet, and aside from squirrels & random kids you see on the street I’m mostly surrounded by old or elderly.

Sometimes I talk to ppl on the phone with kids. I don’t know how parents manage it. I’m good for short bursts but an extended period of time is unimaginable to me.

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TigMac t1_j5j1xex wrote

My kids helped me find the movie Hook(Robin Williams is so good)again, which I loved when I was a kid. Watch some movies or books with imagination in it. The original Pete the Dragon is really good, too. My wife and I have discussed how most children's books nowadays lack the imagination and the pretend world. Go watch a play or do an art session. It makes you be creative.Good luck on your journey to wherever it may lead you.

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TreatThompson OP t1_j5hxngj wrote

Wow that definitely makes sense

I feel that when I’m with my younger cousins and spending time with them definitively feels like I’m spending hours in a world that’s not mine

Thanks for reminding about that perspective!!

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checker280 t1_j5ij9oo wrote

There’s a great toy called Rory’s Story Cubes. They are nine dice with pictures on them. The way we play with these (my kid was 4) is to throw all 9 dice. Then I would casually guide the story with the kid making all the decisions.

I would ask where the story takes place and the kid would choose one of the images - say a fountain. I’d ask is the fountain in a park or in front of a house/building. I might follow up with “do you know of a park with a fountain?” While I might be thinking of an ornate sculpture, the kid might reply with the water fountain at the park.

Then I would ask who the story is about, with follow up questions about the subject’s demeanor or name. I would stop occasionally to see if the kid can recap our decisions.

Kids are remarkably fascinating. They are smarter than they appear. They often understand more than their vocabulary allows them to describe what they know.

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snocown t1_j5jonko wrote

Careful with that, the construct of belief is protecting you as much as it is a detriment. They call it blissful ignorance for a reason.

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