My girls love imagination play. They make up intricate stories and become the characters. Orange socks become flamingo feet, scarves shoved down their pants become tails, nappies on their head become their alien headwear.

I love it because it means they are not afraid to think outside the square. It shows me they are resourceful and creative. It also means they are not asking me for something to eat.

Miss 5: “OK, you’re a unicorn and can’t walk so you have to use a wheelchair.”
Miss 3: *slides into the room on her belly*
MIss 5: “No, that’s not right come with me”.
Miss 5: *comes back into room dragging a blanket with Miss 3 perched on a tiny pink chair*

Lately the stories and songs have become a little more macabre than usual. There’s a lot of death.

In the bath they sing: “We’re going to drown, drown, drown, drown, drown”.

In the car they sing: “We’re going to die, die, die, die, die”.

Then there’s the often played-out storyline.

Miss 5: “OK, you’re a dog and I’m a cat and I’m your Mum and you’re just lying there dead and then I want to go to the shops so you’re not dead anymore.”

I don’t think we’ve even talked to the kids about death, so I can only imagine they are hearing about it on television or at school. We’ve banned the “die song” and the “drown song”. They think it’s funny, they don’t get the finality. I hope they don’t have to for a long time.

Do your kids make up elaborate stories? Do they play dead in their stories? How do you react?

bigwords x