You only have to walk down any toy aisle and you will find the latest and greatest action figure kids are clambering for. It could be Superman, Spiderman, Bat Man, Buzz Lightyear, the Ninja Turtles, Ben Ten or others.
All of these 'heroes' have one thing in common. They stick up for the goodies and eliminate the baddies. They usually have super powers and are certainly larger than life itself.
Fictitious heroes have always been around. Back in the day it was Robin Hood and his merry men who enthralled kids with his 'rob the rich to give to the poor' adventures.
Fantasy only goes so far. In the real world kids need real heroes. If you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, they will not say they want to be Harry Potter because such characters are not real. They are much more likely to say a fireman, a policeman, a deep sea diver, a fighter pilot, an explorer, a great athlete, a teacher, a doctor or a nurse. They are drawn by the great or exciting things they see real people do.
As kids grow into their teens they become more personally influenced by adults they admire most and often try emulating what they do. Because of this factor, we need to make sure our kids choose positive role models as their heroes. Ultimately, we need to be our kids' heroes.
Sally Burgess
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