Joanna Fortune: My child says she is stupid because she finds school difficult  

Daydreamers do not thrive in all environments, and school is one such environment where they often struggle. School is highly structured, with built-in expectations for what concentration and focus should look like. Picture: iStock 

I struggled to stay focused at school and often drifted off into daydreams. By the time I left, I thought I was stupid, and it wasn’t until I started training in hairdressing that I realised I had a different kind of intelligence. I now run my own salon. My seven-year-old daughter is quite similar to me, and she recently started saying she’s stupid because she finds school difficult. I’ve told her she’s smart almost since the day she was born, but nothing I say seems to make a difference. What would you suggest?

I am here for our world’s daydreamers. Daydreaming offers myriad pro-social and mental wellbeing benefits, not just for children, but for all of us. Daydreamers tend to be creative thinkers who show higher levels of flexibility and adaptability in their thinking. They tend to have rich and active imaginations and, as such, can be strong problem solvers.