• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Little Fish

  • Home
  • About
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Disclosures
  • Crafts and Activities
    • Easy Arts and Crafts
    • Creative Play
    • Sea Themed Activities
    • Books and Activities

Do Parents Make Childhood Magical?

September 22, 2016 by Rosie 2 Comments

Do parents make childhood magical?

I’ve read a few posts lately about how ‘Parents do NOT make Childhood Magical’ and it got me thinking about the whole idea of a ‘magical childhood.’ In the end I got a bit angry with these posts and decided that I disagree. Here’s why…

do-parents-make-childhood-magical

First of all, what do we really mean by a ‘magical childhood’?

To me a magical childhood conjures up thoughts of those amazing little moments that you have as a child that you will always remember. Putting out your stocking on Christmas Eve, camping in a field, watching the stars. To me it’s about those experiences where you are lost in the moment and filled with wonder or excitement – for the natural world, for an experience, for a belief in magic.

So do parents make those moments happen? Some would say, no.

I get it. We live in a Pinterest and parenting handbook fuelled culture, where the epitomy of a ‘perfect family’ and a ‘perfect childhood’ appears to be continually placed before us – a perfect idealism that we are are somehow supposed to achieve.

Most of us (make that ALL of us) have felt this pressure at one time or another and it can be a tough thing to remind ourselves that there is no such thing as a perfect parent or a perfect childhood.

We all want and do the best we can for our kids. But really perfection is in the messiness that is love, family and parenthood.

Those that argue that parents are not responsible for making a childhood magical, are fighting against this media fueled pressure on parents to achieve perfectionism. They are saying that a magical childhood is not about having a pinterest perfect birthday party or making 10 different Christmas crafts.

Some say that parents do not make childhood magical by striving towards ideals. They are saying that magic happens in childhood through a child’s own doing. That children find magic in the simple every day things, like walking barefoot in the sand, or looking up at the stars.

And I have to say that here I agree. Children are the ones who experience the magic in their own childhood. They absolutely find the magic in many experiences without any help from us adults. Children often find magic in the every day and often when you would least expect it. Getting lost as a family while out hiking could be seen as a disaster to the grown ups involved, but the kids might see it as a great adventure!

I also agree that we as parents should not strive to achieve some unrealistic ideal of giving our kids a ‘perfect’ and magical childhood, full of pre-planned activities, out of pressure from social media or to keep up with the Joneses. If we are doing things just because we feel like we ‘should’ then we may as well not bother because our heart is not in it.

BUT (you knew there was a but coming right?!) does this mean that parents do not, emphatically, make childhood magical? Not at all? Not whatsoever?

No, I disagree.

Yes, children find magic in many experiences themselves, but I think MANY of the opportunities and experiences we give children as parents contribute to their sense of wonder and magic. Many of my magical memories of childhood are things that my parents did either for me or with me.

My parents used to LOVE throwing us themed birthday parties and making us the most incredible cakes. I remember a magical Halloween themed party my parents organised for me. We all dressed up, there were Halloween themed games and food. I distinctly remember a ‘swirling mist’ pudding. It was amazing, I loved it!

This was long before the days of Pinterest. My parents planned us cool parties just because they loved doing it and wanted our birthdays to be special. Not because they felt like they ‘should’. Every year my mum (or sometimes dad!) made us a decorated cake. They enjoyed it. They found it fun!

At Christmas my parents always bought a real tree and there would be a ritual of decorating the tree one evening. One of my favourite childhood memories is of me and my sister sitting under the newly decorated Christmas tree, staring at the lights and speculating about what would be inside each of the carefully wrapped presents sat under the tree. We’ve started the tradition of a real Christmas tree in our family and I can’t wait to continue it with my children.

My parents were (and still are) so good at celebrating. They love an occasion and really go to town on making it special. If you are ever lucky enough to share a Christmas dinner with my parents you will not go hungry and will go home with the festive spirit in your belly and your soul. Everything was celebrated in my childhood and we had great rituals of celebrating. Birthdays. Halloween. Bonfire Night. Christmas. Long summer nights. Easter and well, just because. All of our celebrations felt so magical to me. Everything was made to feel special.

Then there was the outdoor time. Living in a rural area of England we spent lots of time outdoors in the woods or at the beach. Holidays camping or in youth hostels. It is the simplest of the holidays that I remember with the most fondness and sense of wonder. Hiking up hills in Scotland, collecting rocks and eating cake.

All of the things my parents did with thought and from the heart made my childhood magical.

For some parents it might be amazing birthday parties, for some it might be making crafts, or building dens. Or it might just be dancing around in your pj’s, having a midnight feast or going camping – it doesn’t matter what your interests or strengths are. All of us love and want to spend time with our kids. Whatever you do for or with your kids, big or small, I believe if it is genuine and fun and thoughtful and comes from the heart then that is going to be a magical experience for them.

So yes, children make childhood magical, but actually parents make childhood magical too. Not because we feel pressured by social media, or because so and so down the road is doing this or that. But because we WANT to. Because it comes from the heart. From us to them.

Every year when we were kids, a few days before Easter, my dad would tell us that he was going to go and feed our chickens some cocoa (yes we kept chickens). When Easter came around we would excitedly go and collect the eggs in the morning, only to find, nestled amongst the chicken eggs, some chocolate eggs! They were just sitting there, as if my magic, as if laid by the chickens, after eating all that cocoa that had been sprinkled into their food. THAT is one of my magical memories of childhood. And I didn’t make that happen all by myself.

It was simple, thoughtful and from the heart.

I will be forever grateful for all of the magical moments I had throughout my childhood. I only hope that I can provide my own children with some of the magical moments and experiences that I was lucky enough to have when I was a child.

What do you think? Do you think parents make childhood magical?

You might also like my recent post 10 Magical Things to do with Your Kids

This post first appeared on HuffPost UK.

Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

Sharing is caring...Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
0Share on Facebook
Facebook
0Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

Filed Under: Thoughts

Previous Post: « Living Arrows 37/52 & 38/52
Next Post: Moments of Gratitude #24 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lucy

    October 7, 2016 at 2:15 am

    You’re so, so right! I loved reading your post. It made me think about all the little things my parents did to make sure my childhood was magical! It’s SO not about being perfect, I think we’d all struggle if that were the case, it’s about finding those little moments that will last a lifetime! You’re doing it right, mama! x

    Reply
  2. Rosie

    October 10, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    Thanks so much Lucy! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the post 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Hi, I’m Rosie!

Lover of tea on the beach and avid recycler!

I’m here to help you, with sweet and simple ideas to inspire your children.

Art, crafts, creative play and a splash of nature. Let’s get creative, the simple way!

Take a look around…

Popular Posts

  • How to Make a Construction Small WorldHow to Make a Construction Small World
  • Sea Creature Stick Puppets – with Free Printable!Sea Creature Stick Puppets - with Free Printable!
  • BOOK REVIEW: A Book of SleepBOOK REVIEW: A Book of Sleep
  • Plesiosaur Painted Rock CraftPlesiosaur Painted Rock Craft
  • Recycled Fish Card Craft That Kids Can MakeRecycled Fish Card Craft That Kids Can Make

Give us a Like!

Tweet with me!

littlefishblog Follow

Avatar
now

Reply on Twitter Retweet on Twitter Like on Twitter Twitter
Load More

We’re on Pinterest too!

Member of:

Footer

Follow us on Instagram

littlefishblog

littlefishblog
May her kindness and calm presence live on within May her kindness and calm presence live on within us all. 💕Rest in peace your majesty 👑 

I love this photo that my dad @screen_play captured in the 1980’s. A happy, magical moment 💫 

#queenelizabeth #hrh
Easy Washi Tape Hearts! 🥰 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Easy Washi Tape Hearts! 🥰
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Would you like to make some last minute Valentines this weekend? ❤️(Or maybe you're stuck in isolating like us 🤪).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
These easy washi tape hearts are so quick and easy to make - they look really effective too! 😍
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I've posted a blog post (link in bio) but to be honest these are so simple to make.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•Cut a heart shape from card - you could use an old piece of cereal box.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•Tear pieces of washi tape and create a collage. See what mix of patterns and colours you can make!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•Add a face with a black pen or goggly eyes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•Write a note on the back for someone special!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you don't have any washi tape you could also use left over pieces of gift wrap and stick on with glue. 🎁 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Are you giving Valentines on Monday? Are you making anything special with the kids?
Who loves a good 'ole recycled toilet roll craft?! Who loves a good 'ole recycled toilet roll craft?!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I think the best Christmas decorations are the homemade ones, how about you? 🎄 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Toilet roll crafts are one of our faves as you don't need much to make them - it also reuses those cardboard tubes!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
These Santa Claus and Mrs Claus toilet roll ornaments are really easy to make with just a few materials. Inspire children to make their own Santa 🎅 or Mrs Claus 🤶 - or perhaps they might decide to make their own Christmas characters!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do your kids like to make homemade Christmas ornaments?
Hello!👋 Rosie here! It’s been a while! How Hello!👋 

Rosie here! 
It’s been a while! How was your summer? I hope you had a break from routine?

I took a social media break so I could focus on just ‘being’ this summer. It’s been a challenging year for us all and sometimes it’s good to take a step back and focus on what matters. ❤️

I love this photo of me and my gang (we are about to go on a pony trek!) 🐎 It sums up our summer - getting outdoors, trying new things and most of all, spending time together. 🥰

I also wholeheartedly recommend a visit to @pembreycountrypark in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 where this picture was taken. We loved it so much we could have spent much more than a day there!

Did you have a break from routine this summer? What did you get up to?
What can you create with a wooden spoon?!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We've had a go at making some wooden spoon people puppets! 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
These were so fun and easy to make. Your children can use their imagination to create any different characters that they like! 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Some of the ideas my kids came up with were: mermaids, ladies with pretty dresses and super heroes. Scroll to see some of the finished results!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I hope your children have as much fun making these wooden spoon people puppets are much as mine did. Once you’ve made your puppets you can go ahead and put on a puppet show!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Click on the link in my bio for the full tutorial.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Have you used wooden spoons for your kids to craft with? What did you make?
Stick Fairy! 🧚‍♀️ I put this on my stor Stick Fairy! 🧚‍♀️ 

I put this on my stories, but then thought was too cute to not share properly! 💚

This wonderful stick fairy idea came from @mothernatured 👏 
I made one for the woodland playgroup I co-run and the children loved making their own versions! 💚

I recommend using dry sticks. Use pva glue and leave to dry thoroughly. Some of our group also found tying leaves on with yarn worked really well too!

Do you like to make nature crafts with your kids? 🌲
Spring is finally in the air! Hop little bunnies! Spring is finally in the air! Hop little bunnies! 🐇 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you have a Peter Rabbit fan in your house? My daughter adores the Peter Rabbit books and the tv show. How about your children? 🥕 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We love making our own toys from recycled bits and bobs in the house, so decided to have a go at making a Peter Rabbit figure using a toilet roll! ✂️ 

You can make this Peter Rabbit toilet roll DIY with an empty toilet roll and a few bits and pieces from the craft box.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you like making recycled crafts? Does it feel like spring where you are? 🌸
Happy Mother’s Day to all those celebrating this Happy Mother’s Day to all those celebrating this weekend. 🥰🌸
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We love using washi tape in crafts, especially homemade cards. It’s so fun and easy to use and looks really effective. Why not give it a try? 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can make these washi tape cards for any occasion. Your kids will enjoy coming up with their own designs. Search ‘washi tape cards’ on the blog for full tutorial.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Have you used washi tape in kids art and crafts? 👩‍🎨
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Disclaimer

This site is for information purposes. Please use your own judgement as to the suitability of each activity for your child.

Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Please see my full Disclosure and Privacy Policy for more information.

Copyright © 2025 Little Fish on the Foodie Pro Theme