Why dreaming is so important?

Did you feel that there were people around you who were interested in your ideas, be it a friend, a teacher, or a parent? And did they support you in any way? What emotions arise when you think back on it? 

Dreaming, a need rather than a desire

Whether big or small, dreams and aspirations are part of our lives. Just like the need for survival, freedom, and belonging, dreams are also among our needs. They also contribute to healthy development and fulfillment. Dreams are therefore very important and deserve particular attention. 

Environmental influences and experiences

For most young people, adolescence is a period of searching for their identity and questioning things like the values that have been instilled in them, the relevance of various authority figures as well as their own personality traits. This is a period when young people are projecting themselves into the future. They are imagining themselves as adults, fulfilling all sorts of dreams. These dreams are largely influenced by their environment and current trends.

With each new experience, the teenager will have moments of confidence and fear, successes and failures, encouragement and judgments, just like you did at their age. As a parent, we can be tempted to try to protect the young person, but this prevents them from drawing their own conclusions and learning from their experiences. That's why we suggest the following: 

How can I support my teen?

When your teenager talks to you about their dreams and aspirations, do you have the impression that you are on opposite sides of the spectrum? That you have different priorities? You may be thinking... Yes, but what if they're wrong... Yes, but what if they get disappointed... Yes, but I've done it before, I know how it works... Yes, but they're not realistic, it won't work out for them...

6 attitudes to consider

1. 1.    Show interest in them, by observing their actions and asking questions to learn more about their motivations and better understand their reality.  
2. 2.    Be a respectful listener, regardless of the other person's ideas and opinions. Perhaps at this point, the only thing you will agree on is that you disagree. So, it will be important to respect that without disparaging one another.
3. 3.    Offer them freedom to achieve, by letting them have their own experiences. This will allow them to connect with their own desires, and also to develop their autonomy and their maturity. 
4. 4.    Demonstrate curiosity by checking in about their experiences. Once again, by observing them and asking them about what they're feeling and learning.
5. 5.    Be supportive and caring. Tell them that you will be there if they need you, that you will wait until they ask for your advice before suggesting your ideas, and that you will respect their choice if they change their mind.
6. 6.    Allow them to think big, by believing in themselves and their abilities. This will go a long way in keeping him motivated to dream and to develop their true potential and self-awareness. 

Your attitude's impact

Finally, displaying these attitudes, from a significant adult, offers young people a sense of being valued by the adult. This will help maintain a quality relationship. Plus, it will promote positive experiences along the journey. In the long run, this may help protect your teenager by making it easier to take action, sometimes in the spur of the moment, in the face of adversity.

And as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

References (in French)

Espace impulsion, Comment insuffler du sens à votre ado pour continuer d’avancer?
La presse, À quoi rêve les jeunes?
Parents, À quoi rêvent les adolescents?
Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales, Rêver