Help! - New York,NY

Tell him the stories he wants.
Tell him every day how strong an powerful he is.
Tell him he can have everything he wants in this world.
Tell him that all his dreams can come true.
Tell him that is is Superman.
There will be enough people in his world that will try to tell him otherwise and if you let him know right now that he can be do and have anything he wants in this world what an amazing man he will grow up to be.

B.
Family Success Coach

Sounds like he has a good imagination and he likes to be the center of the story. He's challenging you to come up with good plots and you should definitely use that opportunity for good stories with a great moral ending to each. When you arent "telling" a story make sure you have plenty of books on hand and let him know that tonight you are reading a story about other people. Maybe let him know that Friday night is HIS story night and the rest of the nights are story book nights maybe? Or vice versa if you are up to making up all sorts of super hero stories revolving around him. I dont think it's very unusual. I used to tell stories to my kids making them the main character quite often. Use some stories you already know and just tweek them to his liking.

Hi N.-

I agree with grandma T...what an imagination! Perhaps you have a budding author on your hands!

Maybe you could try writing down 'his' stories...give him a chance to 'illustrate' them as well! (then SAVE them...who knows??? He can publish later in life...lol)

Enjoy and cultivate his gift...and read to him as well!

Best Luck!
michele/cat

My sons do this too. They love made up stories and songs, and want us to interject their ideas and characters as much as possible.

While it's wonderful and encouraged to read books to your child, it's also encouraged to help his imagination develop. You can make little drawings or puppets together for his characters and do your little homemade stories with him too.

They are both wonderful things, and he won't confuse written stories with imagined stories. We often do both together every night, read about two books, then do a make believe story.

My son was also this way. He loved dressing up in his Halloween costume around the house and acting like he was spiderman. I am glad he has such an imagination to keep him busy. That is what makes kids, kids. They haven't been jaded by this world yet and to have a place where they are invinceable and they are strong is good for them. Keep up the good work!

I was that way until I was about age 7. Then I started bossing my sibs around creating make believe games where I was the hero (believe it or not they got ticked when I *quit* bossing them around.... seriously, I'd give them all the details including "Okay, now you say ___________, and then I say _________, and you say __________." Which should have been highly annoying, looking back on it, but when I quit the entire first year I spent in and out of trouble for them being angry I wouldn't be the little mini dicatator I had been.). I quit bossing them at age 10, when I learned to type (first on a typewriter, then computer). Then I started writing my own stories. I was published by 14. The editor didn't even know it until my contract came back cosigned by my parents. ((You NEVER write a chatty letter to an editor saying how young you are, btw, it's bad form... you collect your rejection slips, and learn from what doesn't work, until you get paid for your work.))

Hi,

Let him use his imagination! Unless he is 16 and running around in a Superman costume, I think it is fine (hope you know what I mean). Little girls like to believe they are Disney princesses. We even call them princess, but they soon (too soon) grow out of it.

Let him enjoy being young and young at heart. I think he is fine!

He has a great imagination! Use it! Let him finish out the story or interject what he is imagining -what a wonderful way to develop his thinking skills!

I think most all kids do this.
Its all developmental based.

My kids are 4 and 8. They do this too. More or less, per their age juncture.
It is part and parcel to development. Role-playing or playing 'good guy' or 'bad guy' is all part of developing.
I see no problem with your son requesting stories like that.
My kids, would tell me what kind of stories they wanted to hear... and it was most always, me making up my own stories, with them in it as a certain role... and verbally telling them a made-up story.
My kids liked it very much too.

Why would it confuse your son?
How old is he?
They know the difference between 'pretend' or real.

I think this is great. You can make "superman"clean his room, get all A's in school, open doors for people,stop bullying,stand up for his rights,etc. Maybe he can make up his own stories too.

When I was a kid, my friends and I would write self insert Star Trek stories. (in the days before the internet, I had no idea other people did this) I look back on the writing and cringe, but we had hours of fun imagining ourselves onto the Enterprise. I see nothing wrong with this sort of pretend play.

That is totally normal. When you tell him stories, have him/superman be a man of strength, kindness, helping those who are elderly, infirmed. Kids are really clear that there is good and evil - boys especially seem to really want to save and protect everyone. How great! There is a good thick book "The Children's Book of Virtues" which tells stories true and fictional, about heroes - we want our kids to be the best - this is a great way to mold him in a healthy loving way.

It sounds like you have a wonderfully creative kid.
I'm not sure why you are worried.

My kids loved me making up stories and loved making up their own. In fact, when they were small, I would write down their stories as they told them and before we knew it, they had a book.
They're 24 and 15 now and it's so much fun to go back and read the stories.
I believe that developing children's imaginations is so important.
As far as kids thinking of themselves as a superman (or superwoman), it's pretty typical. How fun to imagine you can fly or you are super strong and can do anything!

You don't say how old he is, but my kids, a girl and a boy, both enjoyed this type of imagining through stories.

I wouldn't be concerned. Write his stories down. Let him draw pictures to illustrate.
Have fun with it!

Just my opinion.

Why would you be worried? He is using creativity. I always make up stories with my 5 year old son. It is a great thing to do- they use their imaginations!
What is confusing? That he might think he can stop bullets? Just tell him it is pretend.

My daughter likes me to make up stories about princesses and dragons. Sometimes she makes me the Queen and her brother the prince.

I don't think it's anything to worry about. Try introducing new characters in to the stories...like Captain Adventure, Mr. Freeze, and Spiderman.

This will enhance his imagination and bring out yours.