What do children dream about?
And then I know: it was a dream.
Luis, 11
Luis talks about his dreams:
"I went ice skating with my brother and a colleague. Maybe the colleague's brother was there too, I'm not sure. We met two people on the ice rink. We played around with them with a little red ball. I really knew these people from the Camargue . I was there on holiday and we played boules with them. The man is bald, the woman has long white hair and blue eyes. In my dream, I knew exactly that they were the people from the Camargue. But when I woke up, I was no longer sure. I don't know why I dreamt this.
Most of the time my dreams aren't that long. And sometimes they are strange. Once I dreamt that Dad had an accident with his car in the jungle. There was snow, so the car was turned on its back. I was relieved when I woke up and saw that Dad was okay. Sometimes the dreams aren't so nice. But I'm not really scared. Just a little. Then I wake up. And I know it was a dream and I'll soon fall asleep again. Sometimes I go to mum's bed. When I sleep alone, I dream differently. I often can't remember what I dreamt.
But sometimes I remember, all of a sudden. This night, for example, I dreamt that I was spending the night at school with two colleagues and we were having a sleepover party. I had forgotten this dream. It was only when I met one of the two colleagues that I remembered the dream. We really did spend a night at school once. We were allowed to have a reading night because all the pupils had read eight books. But we didn't read in the dream. We just went into a room. We slept there. Then I woke up.
And sometimes I have nice dreams. In one dream, me, my brother and my dad were in the same room. We agreed that I would be with my dad for a week and my brother with my mum. After a week, we would swap: I would do something with mum and my brother with dad. When I woke up, I thought: that would be cool. If only dreams could come true."
Sometimes I add something to the dream.
Sophia, 12
Sophia talks about her dreams:
"When I was younger, I dreamt a dream that continued. It continued every Wednesday. The dream wasn't so nice: soldiers were capturing people. It went on and on. Then all the people were gone and I was all alone. When you're younger, that scares you a bit. But in the end it turned out well: the bad soldiers released the people. I don't know exactly who freed them, just someone.
And because the soldiers had forgotten me, I was allowed to do whatever I wanted with them. That was their punishment. I just did everyone's hair. That was fun: I could groom their beards and they had to keep still. They weren't allowed to do anything. I don't know why I always had this dream on Wednesdays. I was about five and still went to ballet. There were older girls there who didn't like me that much.
It was so bad that I cried.
Sophia, 12
I'm good at remembering dreams. There is one in particular that I will never forget: Shortly before Christmas, my brother gave my sister a small, empty tin. There was simply nothing in it - my brother wanted to make a joke. It really was like that.
Then I dreamt that they did the same to me. They didn't give me a present, but I gave them really big presents. We then went into the forest. I took my doll with me. She really exists: Nina. I've had her for a long time, she used to go everywhere with me. My siblings thought it was a bit strange. In the dream they said: «You don't need the doll any more anyway.» But I didn't want to give her away. Then the bad thing happened: Because it was so cold, my father heated up the tiled stove. I didn't realise this and put my doll on it. Then she melted. That was so bad for me that I cried.
Actually, I'm always dreaming something.
Sophia, 12
When I woke up, Mum came and asked why I was crying. I told her about the dream. Mum said I didn't have to be afraid because of the presents. But it wasn't because of the presents! I was crying because of Nina. Mum comforted me: Nina was lying next to me in bed.
I still don't really want to give Nina away. We always go on holiday to the same place in spring. My sister and my cousin and another girl are always there too. They're a bit older than me, so I used to feel a bit left out. Nina was always the only one I played and talked to.
Actually, I'm always dreaming something. I just close my eyes and make up a story. When I fall asleep, I continue dreaming the story. If I don't remember it when I wake up, I'm a bit annoyed. Every now and then I tell what I'm dreaming.
But sometimes I add a little something to the dream. It's just really difficult to tell a dream. When you see it, you know exactly what you mean. But when you hear it, you just don't know. Then it's different. Then it needs something else for others to understand it."
