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The Power of Heroes-Super and Real

By Natalie Bortoli, Lead Educator & Developer: Visual & Performing Arts, Chicago Children's Museum

A few years ago, while I was teaching art classes at a community art center, I met a boy I will never forget. Ted was a three-year-old Superman-in-the-making. Each week he arrived at my class donning the gear of a different hero. If he charged through the door in a firefighter’s hat, he wanted to tell us everything there was to know about emergency rescue vehicles. When he sported a cape and a magic glove, he felt ready to perform awesome tasks. One week he strutted in with his belt looped wide and hooked to the side of his pants—a lasso-wielding cowboy making a brief stop at art class en route to a horseback adventure across the West.

I adored Ted’s penchant for drama and his desire to transform himself into heroes—real or imagined.

Today, it seems that we hear much about the lack of real heroes for children. Some researchers argue that a belief in fictional characters with unrealistic strengths might falsely teach children that the only way to be a hero is to possess super-human powers. But is this true? Like Ted, many other children with whom I have worked demonstrate that they are capable of finding all the right reasons to admire heroes.

Ted loved firefighters because they made daring rescues and helped those in trouble. He loved cowboys because they were tough and adventuresome. Even on days when his mind had turned to capes and magic, I noted a valuable upswing in his own creativity and imagination. It was as though thinking about being "super" gave him an extra dose of ingenuity.

Engagement with heroes offers children many opportunities for growth. It encourages imagination, storytelling, and creative expression. It enables them to recognize those qualities that make humans great. If children admire a figure because he or she is strong, brave, and courageous, it seems likely they will aspire to those same qualities. Heroes and superheroes show us that it is sometimes necessary to put aside our fears to accomplish something important. They teach us the value of persistence and determination, and about helping others in need. These are valuable lessons for children, regardless of whether the particular hero they admire uses super-human skills or not.

How, then, can we as parents, educators and caregivers help children to find today's heroes, and how can we encourage their interest in the best qualities of these particular figures?

• Talk to children about the everyday heroes that exist in their own neighborhood and show them that regular people often become heroes during special times. Share news stories about adults and kids (and even animals) who perform courageous tasks. Perhaps you have a heroic story from your own family! Help arrange a visit from a local hero at your child's school. Children will appreciate real-life stories that they can believe in.
• Teach children about heroes from history. There are numerous and diverse figures from the past and present who exhibit admirable qualities of commitment, belief, strength, and activism. Introduce children to these figures through books, pictures and stories about their lives.
• If children are fascinated by certain superheroes or media figures, get to know these characters or personalities yourself. Stress the characters' positive qualities, and talk to children about the ways they have helped others, worked hard, or overcome a challenge. If children like to pretend to be superheroes, play along with them. Help children imagine situations where they must solve a problem or help someone in need.
• Finally, help children to find heroes that reflect themselves. In addition to diverse local and historical heroes, there is also a widening diversity of superhero characters today. (Check out comic books such as The Avengers, Teen Titans, Justice League of America and X-Men for a variety of unique characters).

Spiderman himself once learned a valuable bit of wisdom from his beloved uncle: With great power comes great responsibility. As parents and caregivers, it is true that we must take responsibility for guiding our children's engagement with cultural heroes. Fostering an admiration and understanding of these characters can help children realize their own potential to rise above their own challenges and accomplish great things. And that's worth donning a cape for
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© 2007 Chicago Children's Museum

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