• Children need to hear the story a few times in order to grasp the subliminal meaning behind the symbols in fairy tales. Once a child seems especially interested in a particular story, focus and repeat this one. According to Bettelheim, it is helping the kid learn how to deal with inner conflicts. Only after losing interest in this story, is it time to switch to another one.
• Parents should never try to explain to their kids why they are attracted to a specific fairy tale; children need to draw their own conclusions and find how the events may relate to their experience.
• Illustrations in storybooks limit the child’s imagination and diminish the tales’ potential. Don’t follow a book or find one with few illustrations.
If storytelling is part of your routine at home, why not try this approach? You may be surprised by your kid’s reaction and, whatever the case rest assured, you can’t go wrong with storytelling!
