The Importance of Fairy Tales for Children
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales." - Albert Einstein
Fairy tales are universally meaningful stories which have been passed down from generation to generation, sometimes for thousands of years!
In this video, I'll explain why fairy tales are so important for children, the best way to share them with your family, and my personal recommendations for the best-suited fairy tales for specific age groups.
If you enjoy this video, please give us a thumbs up and consider subscribing! If you have a question or topic you would like to see addressed in a future episode, leave a comment below or send an email to sundaywithsarah@bellalunatoys.com
PLEASE NOTE: Not all of the fairy tales mentioned in this video, such as "Goldilocks," "The Three Little Pigs," "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," and "The Turnip," appear in the Grimm's collection. These are folktales from different cultures around the world.
"The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales" - www.bellalunatoys.com/product...
For more fairy tales and folk stories, I recommend the "Best-Loved Folktales of the World" collection - www.amazon.com/dp/0385189494/...
Thanks Sarah I love it! Wholly agree. I told the story Hansel and Gretel to a resistant 8 year old, that I mind daily. He is used to video games and youtube game videos not much else ever. He was slightly anxious about the witch but loved it in the end asks me often if i know more. I've weaned them almost off the tv completely now it's just an hour each every friday and he looks forward to his fairytales mythology creativity and learning. Not so much the tv anymore. 💓 if we break the rules it's for educational purposes only. A huge accomplishment for him when he's only used to tv as a extracurricular activity his whole life.
We lived in a little town and our education I hate to say is atrocious it is a statistical fact. So I take a very educational creative stance in child minding. I love your channel it helps me alot Sarah. I truly wish there were more channels like this that support my values in childcare and raising my children. Much love from Canada.
I applaud you for doing this! I have done a lot of babysitting and child minding in my life but it's always so hard to do things differently than the children are used to at home/from their parents. I've also seen a lot of children addicted to tv and other screens instead of just playing with toys or being able to listen to a story/readaloud.
@@Lily_and_Riverthankyou I appreciate that. IT really is a task I've had to be super creative and firm. Truly I thought the autistic child would be the tricky one but I incorporate his specific interests into our environment and creative play. So he feels compelled to interact and contribute to the group activities with confidence. His sense of humour has come out alot. I'm so proud of them.💓
The Paperbag Princess is the best fairytale! Recommend it for all!
Thanks for the video! In particular for the part where you explained which fairytales can be used for which ages. I think you mentioned some really good ones. I do think story telling is so important but I find that a lot of the original fairytales (around the world) are quite tragic, sad or scary and often don't have a happy ending. I think we shouldn't forget that these stories were originally written for an adult audience and for adults to relate to.
I think it's great when children hear stories that they can relate to aswell but the story can often be a lot simpler for young children. Although I intend to use fairytales when I have children I think we shouldn't forget, any story that has a certain moral/meaning and is relatable to the child can be a great story for them! Also when it's a modern story. Although you might want to dig a little to find them, I think there are still great stories being written today.
Also as a christian I can't always match certain stories with my beliefs. I have a different interpretation of the 'good' overcoming the evil, that's not just a fairytale to me. But I would probably use a lot of the stories in the Bible that have great meaning to them aswell. The Bible is also very realistic and not always easy to understand so I do agree that it depends a lot on how you would tell the story.
But I don't think I agree that we should integrate all those different elements of characters (including the evil ones) in ourselves as an adult. Can you maybe explain a bit more what you meant by this?
Thank you very much, what an amazing video!
This is great! I would love to hear what fairy tales are good for age 7 and up. Or is it more reading them yourself first at the older ages?
any ideas for a two year old todler?
I'm so glad to have found your channel! When my son was born we decided that I would leave the classroom to stay home with him until he is ready for kindergarten. He's 18 months old and so full of wonder and curiosity that I've begun integrating him into my daily routines and taking the time to just sit down, talk about what we are doing, maybe sing about it and let him "help" until he decides to toddle off. I learned about Waldorf education when I was in college, but never paid more attention than necessary for passing a test. HOWEVER, now that I have my own little piece of clay at home, I'm incredibly interested in learning more and at least teaching him using Waldorf methods until he goes to school (if he ends up going, we still haven't ruled out homeschool).
Thank you for creating quality content!
Fairy tales serve a very important developmental need in young children, imho. Around age 3, when a child’s world view expands, and they now realize bad things can happen in the world...and their imagination has developed a little, so now they can imagine these bad things could happen to them (now feelings of helplessness and powerlessness develop)....this is the age for fairy tales. First fairy tales (and again, as Sarah says, tell the story...don’t read it. If you need a prop,use wood Ostheimer figures.). The first tales to use, imho, are the graphic ones...like red riding hood, or Hansel and Gretel types. These may be gross to adults, but the fact that good is clearly good, bad is clearly bad, and the bad is killed...gives the child a sense of power and control over that which scares them, the bad. This lays the developmental foundation for which all the subtleties and nuances we adults now have regarding good and bad, that without this type of foundation wouldn’t be there.
I don’t think it’s as important which stories you tell, as it is that you hit the developmental key features of the stories they need to hear at the various stages. A lot of developmental building blocks must go into place before, as adults we can see people can be both good and bad...or that bad isn’t always bad, or good isn’t always good.
Sometimes some Waldorf lists hit the mark on these, sometimes they don’t...so my recommendation is always to first understand the developmental aspects one is aiming for in the telling of fairy tales.
And children don’t think like adults. Hansel and Gretel, despite its gruesomeness...generally never causes children to fear abduction, or hate their parents, turn off of candy, fear their parents will leave them in the woods, or shove anyone in a stove. Instead, all thru the story the children are empowered to save themselves...which they do. That’s what the child hears. But as adults we see only the grossness. It’s interesting to really reflect on that for those of us who heard these stories as kids verses how they occur to us now...and to use that as a reminder that children just don’t think about these things like adults do.
I particularly love your point, Sarah, about not using voices to add emphasis...I think that’s a key observation.
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if you want to teach children then go for Aesop`s Fables, not the grimmy Grimms
I love this ♥️
thank you sarah, I love waldorf education but the fairy tales where always a bit scary to me. I understand there are archetypes, but it is still irritating to me that for example the good people are beautiful and the bad are ugly. Does that not teach children not to trust somebody that they do not find aesthetically pleasing? Would you say this is still part of the archetypes? I want to read grimms fairytales to my two kids but I have to learn about them first and feel good about it. Thank you!
totally agree, they are the forms of early programming, back then Germany was full of mysticism, kabbalah, paganism, esotery, and occult.
Trust your instincts grimm and many other fairytales are accounts of the occult things that happened in the Black Forest.
@@innerlighttribe4756 you`re probably correct.
@@Rodoriginal101 full of everything good, then
Gotcha
You are correct this is not something for non witch families. When they do the ribbons in a circle it was a ceremony they did before a human sacrifice in paganism. Notice how she keeps agreeing this is all very DARK!
Jesus is the way the truth and the life. The Bible is clear light has no part with darkness and to stay away from soothsayers and witch craft! Just for this reason!
It's very interesting to me how Waldorf embrace grimms farrytale some much, and I think it's cause rudolf Steiner too was German. As a Dane and neighbor to Germany we too have a school public system similar to Waldorf where we believe early childhood is for play. But h. C. Anderson was Danish so we grow up listening to all his fairytale and the brother grimms fairytales are not as good in our opinion hehe. The little mermaid and the ugly duckling and so are forexample h. C. Andersen. I'd deffernitly add that besides the grimms fairytales all households should own a h. C. Andersens fairytales collection. They are absolutely beautiful stories. H. C. Andersen is also a big part of our high school curriculum here even cause the fairytales are so meaningful for analysis. Thank you for your lovely videos always. ☺️
Hi Sisse Mia Hoi Christensen, I am curious about H. C. Andersen stories. Do you have a collection of his stories that you might recommend? Thank you for sharing your education ie. lots of fairy tales also but from a different author, all the way through to high school! As a Canadian, I find this fascinating as I did not have that experience growing up. I want to do this for my child though as I did immensely enjoy the few fairy tales that were told to me!
Hooplime I've only read them in the original language Danish. But I'm sure they have been translated to English too. I know Disney have used many of his fairytales as inspiration, so they must all be in English translations too. I hope you can find such a collection in a book store in Canada or maybe ask at your library.
In the Netherlands I grew up with fairytales from both H. C. Andersen and Grimms. We actually had a large series of (audio)books with fairytales and stories from all around the world so I knew a lot. The matchstick girl by Andersen was one of my favourites! I can still see the pictures in my head that accompanied that story. I also remember none of my classmates when I was around 8 or 9 years old, knew the fairytales I knew. My parents didn't know about Waldorf but just really loved fairytales. I think because they grew up with them themselves. Often I find that people who don't really feel the beauty of fairytales, just aren't familiar with them.
I do think the original fairytales by Andersen are often quite tragic and sad. I also think they are more realistic and relatable and therefor really good! But I think it's important for people to remember the time that these fairytales were written in and that they were actually written for an adult audience. Those people wanted something to relate to, which means not always a happy ending. The Disney versions with the magical helpers (in the form of animals) and happy endings are really different from the original versions. (And I still think they are sad or scary sometimes.)
So I'm still contemplating a bit how to incorporate fairytales when I have children. I do think they are important, but I think story telling in general is important and a lot of the original fairytales are really 'too adult' for young children. I guess one can always use the adjusted versions especially written for children or adjust them oneself when telling the story.
AWeerheim thank you for your response. I personally didn't find fairytales scary as a kid cause I knew they were stories. But I think the reason we first I study them in deep in high school in Denmark is exactly cause they are so deep, I remember being super suprised in high school that the little mermaid has such a sad ending in the original vision. I deffernitly think telling fairytales to your kids when the are teenagers would be amazing and when they are younger you can always lake the scary parts funny or change them.
I really know all my Grandma's stories which she told me at that time
Thank you for the insight Sarah.
At what age do you recommend and what did Rudolf Steiner said about the age of introducing reading fairytales?
Also which fairytale would you recommend for a 1,5 - 2 year old?
Hello Miss Sarah and thank you for your guidance on this topic. I have been reading to my daughter from the time I learned of my pregnancy and she is now turning 4 and a lover of books and stories. Recently she has taken every opportunity possible to ask "Please, tell me a story?" which I began to absolutely love. As you mention, a parent or caregiver may become, I don't believe in bored, but out of fresh ideas. Thank you for your age appropriate examples. I do have a question: At my Grandmother's and Mother's house she is often allowed to watch movies, which although it is not my preference of how she spends time while I am away at work but is a reality. I am concerned because most of her play has become based on the Disney Princess movies and I encourage her to think of another game or story to play with her dolls. Giada has memorized the stories and will usually stick to them but will sometimes create her own story. She is a dreamy type of child with a lovely imagination and I would like to have guidance on how to preserve that part of her while she may be exposed to some media, where, out of respect for my elders, I haven't much control over. Thank you again for your guidance, I adore your channel and you are simply beautiful!
Another great stories for children are aesop's fables
Can you make a list of favorite fairy tales?
no
@@Max-wx1qj ahhhhhg a mood
@@Max-wx1qj don't be rude
I started reading fairy tales to my 3 years and 9 months old son. I started with Goldlocks and he loves it. Then, last night, I read the Gingerbread Man and he felt so sad because the fox ate the Gingerbread Man. Now, he doesn’t want this book anymore. Is this expected? Maybe he will like it one day? Should I select only fairly tales with happy ending?
Is it just as beneficial to read fairytales together in the book instead of reciting it/sharing the story from the heart?
Thank you for this! Could you please do a video on if there is an incorporation of religion to Waldorf education. I think about this a lot when I think about sending my child to a Waldorf school in the future.
Absolutely, +emma lee ! This topic was already on my list of future videos to do, and one that I love to address since I was concerned about these same questions when I began my teacher training and before deciding to send my children to a Waldorf school. Coming soon!
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when she became the 'oger and the witch' I wanted to be 4 again...
I have several fairy tale books , but none of them are illustrated. My son is 3 years old which books/ stories would you recommend for his age.
She answers this at about 6 minutes in
She answers this at about 6 minutes in
bamboozled
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