Was bist du?

I have been reading a 1929 text written by Piaget entitled The Child's Concept of the World, something I was led to by my child psychology professor, Dr. Barron, last Fall semester. A particular chapter of interest is where Piaget attempts to explain how children reason between subject and object (particularly because the child is a realist; they are unable to make full sense of an abstract concept); the chapter is called "Dreams." Here Piaget says that the child is, and I quote, "confronted by grave difficulties when he attempts to explain the most subjective of experiences - dreams." This is supposedly because children are still developing a sense of personal self, let alone a knowledge of the other. Piaget went on to record a conversation he had with a child that I have found very fascinating (and amusing):

Piaget: Where does the dream come from?
Child (5yrs, 9mnths): I think you sleep so well that you dream.
P: Does it come from us or from outside?
C: From outside.
P: What do we dream with?
C: I don't know.
P: With the hands? With nothing?
C: Yes, with nothing.
P: When you are in bed and you dream, where is the dream?
C: In my bed, under the blanket. I don't really know. If it was in my stomach the bones would be in the way and I shouldn't see it.
P: Is the dream there when you sleep?
C: Yes, it is in the bead beside me.
P: Is the dream in your head?
C: It is I that am in the dream; it isn't in my head. When you dream you don't know you are in the bed. You know you are walking. You are in the dream. You are in the bed. You know you are walking. You are in the dream. You are in the bed, but you don't know you are."
P: When the dream is in the room, is it near you?
C: Yes, there! (pointing to 30cm in front of his eyes)

I asked this same question of children before, and have received some pretty cool answers - "from my mouth," "from my mom," "from the sky" - and so I had a similar conversation with Mia here. She'll be 5 years old in less than a month:

Candice: Mia, woher kommt die Traeume? Mia, where do dreams come from?
Mia: *fiddling with the piano in my room* Von schlafen. From sleep.
C: Und was uns die Traume gibt? And what gives us dreams?
M: Deutschland. Germany.
C: Deutschland? Die Leute oder das Land? Germany? The people or the land?
M: Die Leute. The people.

Interesting that Mia thinks her countrymen give her dreams. I also asked:

C: Mia, was bist du? Mia, what are you?
M: Chinesisch. Chinese.
C: Wirklich? Und was noch? Really? And what else?
M: Ein Katze *make a noise like "marf marf"* A cat!
C: Aber du sprichst wie ein Hund! But you speak like a dog!
M: *makes a noise like "mow mow"*
C: Und was bist du wirklich? And what are you really?
M: Ein Loewe *pounces onto the bed* A lion.
C: Echt!? Really!?
M: Nein, ich bin ein Mensch! No, I am a human being.
C: Ah so...
M: Nein! Ich bin deinen Kopf! No! I am your head!

I'd never asked her this question before, but her first response was to jump straight into imaginary characters, which is interesting considering in the past three weeks I have yet to witness her in immediate imaginary play. A lot of her focus has been on her surroundings and on being a recognized part of her environment (in other words, there has been a little bit of jealousy over her brother). That being said, before my arrival I have been told that she spend quite a lot of time amusing herself after kindergarten and lately she has shown a fondness for some imaginative play with me. Hopefully this is a sign that that type of play is increasing for her.

Further reading on the development of subjective thought in children can be found here:

Minderovic, Z. (2001). Spirituality in Children. Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2602/is_0004/ai_2602000498/?tag=content;col1.

Piaget, J. (1929). The CHild's Conception of the World. Retrieved fromhttp://books.google.de/books?id=wxWd6bY2FAkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+child%27s+conception+of+the+world&hl=de&ei=JPaHTMDPIoaLswaVwa2yCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

-Candles