- A dream about a child is traditionally read as new beginnings, innocence, joy or a burden of responsibility.
- Folk dream books read a healthy, playing child as good fortune and a sick, lost or crying child as worry.
- Psychology reads a dream child as a new project, a younger part of the self or a protective instinct.
- Jung (1964) wrote of the child as a symbol of potential and renewal in dreams and myths.
- Dream interpretation is a tradition of reading symbols; it does not predict events.
What does it mean to dream about a child?
Folk dream books read a child by its condition. A healthy, laughing child at play is a sign of joy, news and good fortune; a crying child is a worry or a plea for attention; a lost child is a duty left undone or a plan that has gone astray; a sick child is a worry about something fragile in your life. An unknown child is often read as a new beginning, an idea or an undertaking about to be born. Dreams of your own child, whether young or grown, are most often read as a reflection of care and of your fears for them, and not as a forecast.
Three ways to read a dream about child
| Reading | Who says it | What the dream is taken to mean | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dream books | Folk tradition, Miller (1901) | Folk dream books read a child by its condition. A healthy, laughing child at play is a sign of joy, news and good fortune; a crying child is a worry or a plea for attention; a lost child is a duty left undone or a plan that has gone astray; a sick child is a worry about something fragile in your life. An unknown child is often read as a new beginning, an idea or an undertaking about to be born. Dreams of your own child, whether young or grown, are most often read as a reflection of care and of your fears for them, and not as a forecast. | Custom |
| Psychology | Freud, Jung and later authors | A dream child can be a real child, but it can also be you at an earlier age, a creative project or a new stage of life. Jung (1964) wrote that the child is a common symbol of renewal and of the potential not yet realised, appearing at moments when something new is trying to form. A child in danger frequently stands for something you feel responsible for and fear to lose, from a baby to a business. A child who cries may speak for needs of your own inner child that have been neglected. The question is what is small, new or in need of protection. | Clinical interpretation |
| Sleep research | Sleep laboratories, surveys | Children appear regularly in the dreams of parents, and content-analysis studies show that dreams of caring for or protecting children increase around pregnancy and the early years of parenthood, in keeping with the continuity hypothesis. Dreams in which a child is lost or in danger are common among anxious parents and are often explained as the dreaming mind rehearsing worries, as the threat-simulation theory (Revonsuo, 2000) suggests. They do not indicate that a child is actually at risk. | Measurements and surveys |
Child in the dream books
What each source says, in its own terms. Dream books are quoted as tradition, not as fact.
A healthy child at play is joy and good news. A crying child is a worry that asks for attention. A lost child is a duty or plan gone astray. An unknown child is something new that is being born in your life.
Jung described the child as a symbol of renewal and of potential not yet realised, appearing in dreams and myths when something new is forming in the psyche.
Child dream meaning, by variation
The details change the reading.
| In the dream | Traditional reading | Psychological reading |
|---|---|---|
| Happy child playing | Joy, news and good fortune | Playfulness and ease |
| Crying child | Worry that needs attention | A neglected need of your own |
| Lost child | A duty left undone | Fear of losing something you care for |
| Child in danger | Worry about something fragile | Protective anxiety |
| Unknown child | A new beginning or idea | A new project or part of the self |
| Yourself as a child | Longing for the past | Contact with your inner child |
| Your own child | Care and concern | Reflecting your hopes and fears for them |
| Sick child | Something delicate in your life | Concern about vulnerability |
When in the night do such dreams happen?
Vivid, story-like dreams happen mostly in REM sleep. REM periods are short early in the night and get longer toward morning, which is why a dream like this is often the last thing before waking.
Spiritual meaning of child in a dream
Spiritual writers read the child as innocence and the soul's new beginning: in many traditions a child in a dream is a sign of renewal, rebirth or a gift. A child who guides or speaks wisely is sometimes described as a voice of the higher self. A child in need is read as a call to care for the vulnerable parts of one's own life. These are symbolic and devotional readings, offered for reflection, and not statements about a real child or an event to come.
What in my life is new, small or in need of protection?
Is the child me at an earlier age, and what does that child need?
Whom do I feel responsible for, and is that weight reasonable?
Questions people ask
What does it mean to dream about a child?
Traditionally new beginnings, innocence or responsibility, with worry if the child is distressed. Psychology reads the child as a new project, a younger part of you or a protective instinct. The child's condition is the main clue.
What does it mean to dream about an unknown child?
Often a new beginning, an idea or an undertaking. Jung (1964) wrote of the child as a symbol of renewal. Ask what in your life is young or just starting, and how the child behaved.
What does dreaming about a lost child mean?
Traditionally a duty left undone. Psychologically it often reflects fear of losing something you care for. For parents it is a very common anxiety dream and not a sign of real danger.
What does a crying child in a dream mean?
A worry asking for attention, or a neglected need of your own. It may also follow real caring duties. How you responded in the dream is the more telling detail.
Is dreaming about a child a good sign?
Healthy, playing children are read as favourable, and sick or lost ones as a worry. There is no evidence that dreams predict events or a child's wellbeing. The dream reflects your care and concerns.
Why do I dream about children when I do not have any?
A dream child can stand for a project, your younger self or a wish to nurture. People without children dream of them often, usually at times of change or creativity. It does not necessarily say anything about wanting a family.
- Jung C. G. Man and His Symbols, 1964
- Revonsuo A. The reinterpretation of dreams: an evolutionary hypothesis of the function of dreaming. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2000
- Hall C. S., Van de Castle R. L. The Content Analysis of Dreams, 1966
- Domhoff G. W. Finding Meaning in Dreams: A Quantitative Approach, 1996
- Folk dream books
Each symbol page sets three readings side by side and names where each one comes from. Dream books are quoted as tradition. Last reviewed on the date in the header.