The importance of fairy tales in the life of the child
Wisdom of Bruno Bettelheim The Uses of Enchantment
I spent many delightful hours as a child reading fairy tales. Even today, most of the stories I devoured ring clear in my head, but I have not read perhaps forty years. Dancing Princesses stories underground to escape a life of music and balls, the decision of the magic ring baked in the cake, the sister dying trying to free his brothers a lot has changed in the elements of fairy tales flow swans deep hole in my heart and imagination, and I continue today. Why is this?
As I asked this question, I had the chance to meet a woman who ran a Christian bookstore for years. She told me that many parents who come into the store in search of appropriate reading material for their children. When fairy tales offered, they avoid, fearing dark and disturbing images that the capacity to frighten and traumatize youth. The argument would go like this:. ". Fairy stories are present and fear the evil in the world would they my child confused about what is true and what they have done many ogres and witches and giants, and should therefore why should I leave my child terrified by things that are not even true? "
When I write the entire length Tales of Christian inspiration, I decided to explore the many valid questions and concerns parents face. I thought about this book that I read when my first daughter was born, the famous book by Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment. I remember the book had an impact on me, and because of its logic, my children choose to dive into the world of fantasy and fairy tales throughout their childhood. Now they are great, I asked them how stories shape and worldview and creativity. They have no doubt that their lives will be greatly enriched by the experience, and read fairy tales by their attitude toward healthy and confident on the challenges and terrors of life.
Child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim, famous for his research on autism. The aforementioned book written in 1976, he won the National Book Award. I like what he writes in the introduction. "Wisdom bursts fully developed like Athena from Zeus's head, is built a little by step, from the beginning of its most irrational but intelligent adult sense can not exist in this world with. L one experiences. Unfortunately, too many parents want their children to use their own mind, as if mature understanding of ourselves and the world, and our reflections on the meaning of life, who have not developed more slowly than our bodies and our minds. now as in the past, the most important and the most difficult task of raising a child to help them find meaning in life. "
She is currently working in the field of autism Bettelheim challenge to give meaning to the lives of children very upset. He found that most books for young readers to be sorely lacking in the ability to perform this task, but also knowing that literature held the best promise to pass on the cultural heritage, which seemed essential. And this story was deemed necessary "to enrich the lives of [the child], it must stimulate his imagination; help develop intelligence and to clarify his emotions; being attentive to the concerns and aspirations; fully recognized to his difficulties, while at the same time all aspects of his personality and without ever demeaning, but, on the contrary, giving credit to the seriousness of the difficult situations of the child and promoting both same confidence themselves and their future. "He goes on to say how important it is to provide books on moral education subtly, and consequently that" giving the advantages of moral behavior. "A conclusion?" The child receives this kind of meaning through fairy tales. "
The German poet Schiller wrote: "living a deeper meaning in the fairy tales told me in my childhood than in the truth that is taught by life." How is this possible? Bettelheim says: "The stories begin where the child really be psychologically and emotionally. they talk about their intense internal pressure in a way that the child understands unconsciously ... and provides examples of temporary and permanent solutions to pressing problems. "
Some parents longing to protect their children against bad scary things in the world is worth remembering that this is the world in which we are prepared to face. Deep to hide their conscience, trying to postpone or color the harsh realities of life, we do them a great disservice. The Bible is like the master sample. Transparency and disclosure and open communication of evil in all its forms God does not censor murder, rape, betrayal, cruelty, incest, and sexual passion, even in the pages of His Word. Parents can support the young child to learn about these things, and there is a time and season for everything, and some of the best coverage when a child may be more emotionally mature and understanding to face some of these things.
Bettelheim says this: "For a child or an adult, the unconscious is a powerful determinant of behavior when the repressed unconscious and its content is denied access to knowledge, and finally the person is conscious mind will partial submerged unconscious elements. or another is forced to keep such rigid, compulsive control over them that his personality can be greatly paralyzed .... The common belief is that parents child should be diverted from that most problems.: A formless, nameless anxiety and fantasies chaotic, angry, violent and even many parents believe that only conscious reality or pleasant and wish-fulfillment in images that presence of the child should not be exposed on the sunny side of things. But these fresh feeds one side of the mind, but a unilateral, and real life is not all beautiful. '
Other than a shelter from the evils of life, we can give them the tools they need to deal head on with confidence. Bettelheim says that the struggle against severe difficulties in life is unavoidable, is an integral part of the human experience. If you're not afraid, "replied firmly but unexpected difficulties and often unfair, one masters all obstacles and at the end of the victory comes."
Characteristics of fairy tales
The fairy tale, according to Bettelheim confronts the child squarely on the topics most frightening of life: death, aging, loss of a parent, to be gained or lost, and other strengths . Fairy tale simplifies all cases, allowing the child to address the problem in its most essential form. The figures clearly drawing and data, unless very important, are eliminated. All characters are typical rather than unique. Evil is common and often made under some form of a figure or their actions. Not without attracting evil ", symbolized by the mighty dragon or giant, the power of the witch, the cunning queen in 'Snow White'." In many fairy tales due to the successful entry for an all-sisters Cinderella stepmother is not, but in the end, the traitor be punished and moral crime to pay. because the child follows the hero through his journey, he can all identify with the hero struggles suffering and triumphant. Bettelheim says that the child "makes these identifications by itself, and the internal and external struggles of the moral hero footprint."
The most important aspect in fairy tales, for me, is the moral choice of heroes. The child learns that choices have consequences, and the child can choose what kind of person she wants to be. It is only by "out into the world" does the hero learn and find happiness. The fairy tale is future-oriented and guides the child, so that, instead of escaping into the world of the unreal, it has tools to help build character and courage to face what makes her life. Often the hero is lost, the fear alone. The child recognizes emotions. But a hero is guided and helped along the way because of his determination and courage. In this way, working on their own kind of fairytale magic, read the child feels understood and enrich the child Bettelheim says "pleased with the quality, but because he knows it is not good way whose stories have made them wonder.
"Stories of fairies, unlike any form of literature, direct the child to find his identity and vocation, and they also suggest that more experiments are needed to character. Fairy Stories rewarding life to your personal reach despite adversity, but only if we do not afraid of dangerous struggles without which we can never reach the true identity of "This is the basic principle of the Bible.: need for those who want to please God and get problems persist for the tests produces endurance, character, hope, and hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:03 -5).
Therefore, they are not fairy tales as a bad influence on your children. Instead, be selective and age-appropriate stories to choose from. But do not be afraid to unleash their imagination and allow to face their darkest fears. Identifying their hero, you let fears surface in a subtle way, and let your child find the courage and moral choices vicariously options to create the character and influence of the party rest of his life .
I look at my daughters, now adults, and see how the world of imagination and fantasy helped to confront evil and struggles, gave confidence and courage, and encourage their imagination overflowing in their art, writing, poetry and music. We can not hide our children against the evils of the world, and not even explain everything in a way pat on the Word of God, fear and deep anxiety to dissipate child. Only by bringing them to the surface safely and imaginative can we as parents help them mature and responsible adult. I think the word, responsible, able to answer, because our goal is to help our children to be able to respond effectively to any situation life throws at them, and fairy tales help directly.
