Lots of preschoolers love to dress up and flaunt their individuality in what they wear. Boys and girls alike enjoy dressing up in costumes or in their parents’ clothes, or just putting together crazy combos of their own clothes. They love the world of pretend, and costumes are often the props of their pretend play.

As they mature, they begin to sort out reality and fantasy, and to understand that even when they pretend to be Batman or Elsa or a horse or a puppy, they are really themselves “on the inside.” This new stage opens up a great opportunity to talk to your child about the fact that God sees who they are on the inside, and loves them. The Bible tells us that while people might look at outer appearances, God looks at the heart—the person you really are.

This can also lead to a discussion about how we should love others—not based on their appearance but because they are precious children of God, just like us. As your preschooler’s social circle expands, they’ll have choices to make about how they treat people who look or dress or act differently than they do. As they do, help them remember that God loves everyone, no matter what, and asks us to do the same.

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. —1 Samuel 16:7

In Hal and the Very Long Race (available now!), preschoolers learn to celebrate the differences in how they grow as they follow Hal the hedgehog as he discovers he's not as big or strong as his friends.  To learn more about the book, click here.

Originally Published 6/22/2017