Fairy Tales’ Impact on Child Development

So your child keeps talking about that mermaid and her father deep into the sea, right? This is a good sign as s/he is unknowingly developing his/her brain by listening to fairy tales. These short fantasy stories unlock a host of abilities in a child and help in character development from a very young age.

Read on to know why fairy tales prove to be a greatness guide for the little ones.

1. Brain development: 

The clear imagery of fantastic creatures takes the children by surprise. They learn to imagine how the characters would look, move, talk or act and thus, build new neural pathways. With this advancement in their ability to imagine, the child’s brain develops and matures physically.

2. Understanding human nature: 

The usage of metaphors and similes in a fairy tale helps  children compare the traits of different characters in the story and come to a conclusion about the nature of those characters. If your children want you to narrate the same fairy tale over and over again, it’s a sign that the richness of the story has moved them subconsciously and they have developed a taste for similar storylines. Appreciate their eagerness.

3. Vocabulary through context: 

Often children stumble at difficult words whose meaning they don’t know. You can either tell them what the word means or prompt them to guess its meaning by explaining the context, the tone of narration and the flow of the story. Through this process of contextual clues, children increase their vocabulary out of  sheer intuition.

4. Life lessons: 

The presentation of fairy tales, through attractive and fearful characters, serves to convey a particular message. The morale of the story is not just presented at the end of the story but through the twists and turns of the plot. The lessons take root deep into the minds of the children and influence  their ideas and approach towards society as they grow up.

5. Informal Education: 

The virtues of the heroes, the struggles of the villains and the difficulties in reaching a goal exemplify the truth that there are hurdles in life that have to be overcome with confidence and strength of character. These lessons automatically strengthen  children and they who keep doing well at school

6. Logical Thinking: 

Listening to fairy tales regularly helps  children create a perception about life in general and links actions with results. For instance, they’d try to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist and predict results. This  also helps them interpret real life actions logically and predict results.

7. Cultural diversity: 

The tales talk of faraway lands and in the process, intrigue children about different cultures,   physical appearances and human behaviour. As children like listening to unusual stories about magical tribes, they develop an interest in human geography, that is, the way humans live.

8. Fighting anxiety: 

Children struggling to make friends or expressing themselves often confide in heartwarming fairy tales.

10. Empathy for Animals:

Most fairy tales have animal characters. Imagining themselves as the heroes of the story, children realize that animals can be very friendly too. This creates a soft corner for domestic or wild animals in the hearts of children since the start. 

Which of the above advantages of reading fairy tales have you noticed around you? Would you like to share  how fairy tales helped you during your childhood?

Read also: Variety of fairy tales for your kids.