CHILD
A dream about a child (under the age of thirteen or so) may be a dream about yourself. If you are having a wonderful time playing and dressing up, the dream may be encouraging you to have more fun in your adult life. A dream about a child refusing to share or being inconsiderate may be a comment on your own weaknesses. Has your recent behavior or approach to life been a little childish? If you are the child in the dream, this can suggest a need to shed some of your current responsibilities in real life or express your real self.
If you are caring for a child or infant, and not really wanting to, perhaps someone in waking life is being demanding and requiring too much attention. If you want to have a child and dream of one, you may become a parent in the not-so-distant future. If you lose a child, whether your own or an unknown child, you may be anxious that you have taken on responsibilities you cannot handle. If the child is one of your children, look up son and daughter. If your dream did not evoke specific memories of your own childhood or an unknown child appeared, your unconscious may have summoned up an archetype in the staring role—that of the inner child. Whether your inner child was portrayed by you or by another character in the dream, he or she represents the part of you that, Peter Pan-like, has never grown up, or a part of you that you have banished from your waking life, but longs to be rediscovered. Your unconscious may therefore be highlighting your own immature behavior, or else your longing to recapture childhood innocence. Once again, the clue lies in the child’s behavior.
If the child in the dream is bullying another child, this could be related to how you are cruelly treating someone in real life. If, however, you are the victim in the dream, do you feel vulnerable, abused and powerless in waking life? If the child in the dream is happily playing with their toys, do you long to return to the optimistic, childhood state of mind before the realities of life closed in avenues of opportunity? Do you long to return to a time when anything seemed possible? Try to remember the child’s behavior—was he or she friendly or unfriendly, smiling or throwing a tantrum and consider whether the dream is commenting on your own current life and behavior. Do you have a tendency to fly into a childish rage when you don’t get your way in waking life?
CHILDREN
Children in a dream are symbols of joy and warmth, or of your desire for joy and warmth in waking life. If children are giving flowers, fruits or sweets, this suggests unexpected success or happiness. If, however, the children are quarrelling, this indicates domestic problems. Children in dreams can also represent feelings about your childhood, or current feelings of dependency or vulnerability. What is happening to the child in the dream will help you determine the interpretation.
If the children in your dream are boys, they symbolize high energy levels and new beginnings. If the boys are playing, this suggests the resolution of domestic or financial problems. If, however, the boys are quarrelling, this dream may be a warning to listen to the advice of people around you, especially if they are older than you. Perhaps you have been acting rashly. If one or more of the boys are injured, it is a serious warning to take a sober look at how you run your day-to-day life.
If the children in your dreams are girls you know and they are smiling, friendly or affectionate, this suggests that your general attitude of honesty will be much appreciated by those around you. If you don’t know the girls, this can suggest the beginnings of a new relationship. If the girls are untidy, disruptive, crying, angry or abusive, this could be a warning to show more understanding to your partner and those around you to avoid arguments and unnecessary misunderstandings.
EXAMINATION
Fear of failure can often originate in childhood and stem from fears of abandonment, so dreaming you are a child sitting for an examination or revising for a test and worrying that you won’t pass may express a fear of failure. Dreams of being late, unprepared or failing an examination show that you feel unprepared for the challenge life is currently throwing at you. Examinations are stressful and they can highlight your shortcomings. Your dream is urging you to stop fearing failure, to emphasize what is right and not what is wrong, and to give yourself permission to succeed.
Childhood Dreams
The following dreams are typical of childhood and mirror the stresses, experiences and questions associated with this stage in life. It is possible, however, to have one of these dreams at any stage in your life. See also STAGES OF LIFE.
BECOMING A SUPERHERO
In this dream, a child may find themselves faced with an evil force or power and, as in the breathing underwater dream, just when the situation becomes desperate or hopeless, they find that they transform into a superhero with extraordinary powers. As a superhero, they destroy their enemies and resolve the conflict. Not surprisingly, this dream is more common with boys than girls, perhaps because from an early age boys are influenced by superhero role models, such as Spiderman or Power Rangers. The dream may also continue into adulthood.
The child who has this kind of dream tends to be coping with some kind of problem or obstacle; for example, financial hardship, or family tensions and conflicts, and the dream may reflect these tensions. The child may feel that they are trapped by the situation and are helpless to do anything about it; the dream refers to their desire to make problems disappear magically. But this kind of dream may point to more than a wish for magical powers, as it also shows the dreamer that within them these magical and unique powers are just waiting to be discovered.
BREATHING UNDER WATER
In this nightmare with a happy ending, a child may dream that they are drowning and unable to reach the surface to breathe. Then, incredibly, just as they realize they are going to drown, they continue breathing and can breathe underwater in their dream. Like the dreams of flying, this dream is also about discovering abilities during times of crisis or when thrown into a particular situation. The water theme suggests a sense of being overwhelmed and vulnerable to the situations that surround us. It shows that a sense of panic is not only natural but necessary to discover the ability to breathe (survive) in a new environment (underwater).
This kind of dream tends to be outgrown by the time one reaches the age to leave home, but it can and does re-emerge if you are thrown into difficult, new or challenging situations in adult life. It should be seen as a reminder of your ability to survive tough circumstances, even when you feel out of your depth. The dream can also arise among adults who find themselves not only in a difficult new situation, but in a situation that does not allow them to express their own concerns.
Childhood dreams
Research has shown that sensitive or gifted children tend to be more prone to dreams and nightmares. Dreams in childhood often mirror the stress and confusion that is associated with the early years of our lives. Frightening dreams or nightmares are common to children up to the age of around eight. If you are a concerned parent, simply talking about the dream with your child can help dissipate the tension around them. Avoid the instinct to tell the child that it was just a dream and that dreams aren’t real, as this may discourage your child from confiding in you, or simply frustrate them because you don’t take it seriously. You may also have a child who dreams with their eyes open for a few seconds after the dream is over and they are awake. In general, such experiences are not signs of a disorder, but if you are concerned, talk to your doctor or a pediatrician.
FLYING
Dreams