5 ways to inspire your kids to follow their dreams

The Little Mermaid was first released when I was in middle school and quickly became one of my very favorite movies. It was no surprise that my Little M was drawn to the singing, dreamy, and determined mermaid as well… after all the two girls have a lot in common. They both sing to express emotion, they both love to collect small things and they are both driven to make their dreams come true.

Sebastian nailed it! The key to making your dreams come true is knowing how to be you. When we were asked to help spread the word about the release of The Little Mermaid on October 1st, (Available for the first time on Blu-ray Combo Pack and HD Digital) we happily popped some popcorn, snuggled up, and hit play.

And of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t find a way to make this special viewing a little exercise in playful learning… (see what I did there?)

Follow Your Dreams – Ariel Style

• Collections. Ariel collected items from humans as a way to help her dream come to life. By touching, observing, and researching, she was able to learn more about her dream and what it would take to achieve it. Dream journals work the same way. Provide your little dreamers space to collect and record potions of their dreams. Both collections and dream journals are a way to keep your vision clear.
• Find Your Voice… even if it takes a few tries. In the movie Ariel has to lose hers to realize that there is more than one way to obtain the goal she was so desperate to achieve. Approaching everyday tasks and projects from a different angle will help your kids understand that there are many ways to approach life. What works best for one, may not work at all for another.
• Support Self Confidence. King Triton has obviously raised a confident daughter. Having confidence in the choices they make goes a long way to reaching their dreams. This doesn’t mean that your kids will always make the best choice or that every choice will end in success. But knowing they are capable of making decisions and handling the consequences of their actions; will make reaching for their dreams so much easier.
• Dream Together. Scuttle is the perfect dream buddy for Ariel. He does try to keep her from danger but he also listens to her plans and swims along side where ever her dreams lead. Next time your little one comes to you with a wild idea, try to think in terms of dreaming together. Can you help the dream along? Can you ohhh and ahh? Can you avoid shutting it down with “that’s impossible” comments?
• Follow YOUR Dreams. What’s the best way to teach? By example of course. What is one dream you could start working on today? Something small perhaps, something simple. (Save becoming King of the Sea for after you’ve gained momentum.) Make sure your kids know that it’s something you have been wanting to do for a long time, something you had to work for.

How do you encourage your kids to follow their dreams?