Fairy tale therapy for children: how it works

Why do fairy tales have such an impact on children?A fairy tale is more understandable for a child than moralizing and preaching. It inspires faith in the best, helps to find a solution in a difficult situation, build relationships with people. The fairy tale shapes the child's image of justice, love, friendship, good and evil. Listening to a fairy tale, a child really experiences its events with heroes. What is the difference between fairy tale therapy and ordinary fairy tales? Recently, psychologists have begun to actively resort to such a method as skazkoterapiya. In this case, not only all well-known literary tales are used, but they are selected or written for a specific child and for solving one particular problem. Despite the fact that fairy-tale therapy is a method of psychotherapists and psychologists, parents can also take this technique into service. It's not difficult at all, but it gives amazing results! Do not worry if you do not know how to invent dashingly twisted stories: this is not required at all. You are the best skazkoterapevt for your baby, because no one except you, does not know his problems and experiences so well. And for help in the composition, you can always turn to books and the Internet, read other tales on this topic, and then come up with your own.Photo: Getty ImagesHow to correctly use fairytale therapy?

Identify the main topic that you will be interested in.to communicate with the child. What is your problem? It can be any: the child is afraid of the dark, throws toys, fights, curses with parents, does not want to go to kindergarten, offends the cat.

We invent a hero of a fairy tale. If he was first "bad" (hooligan, fought, did not obey), then this should not be your child. Let the protagonist only look like your son or daughter. The main character you make your child in if you endow the hero with the quality you want to instill in him (for example, very polite or defender of all the weak).

Details are important. Try to accurately describe the surrounding reality, the nature, the habits of the child.

Now - the plot. It should be simple. For example, the hero did something wrong, than greatly upset others. A fairy came and somehow punished him. The hero realized his mistakes, corrected himself, he was disgraced, and everyone was happy, especially his parents.

Important points to remember about fairy tale therapy for children

In order for the fairy tale to act, it is desirable to tell it more than once. You can come up with several fairy tales on the same topic.
But do not overdo it, do not use therapeutic tales too often, so they can lose their effectiveness.
When writing fairy tales, do not forget about humor. Let your jokes be jokes, so they are better perceived by the child. In addition, jokes bring parents and children together.

Photo: Getty Images However, the well-known folk and author's art tales can help to correct the child's behavior. Do not forget about them! For example:

a child who loves to lie on trifles, it is worth reading the fairy tale "The Hare-Braggart";
frivolous and playful - "Adventures of Dunno";
selfish and greedy kid it will be useful to listen to the fairy tale "About the Fisherman and the Fish";
timid and shy - a fairy tale about the "Cowardly Hare", etc.

Just don't point out the similarity of the hero.with a child – the kid will draw conclusions on his own. Just discuss the fairy tale together. Try to solve the child’s age-related problems with the help of therapeutic fairy tales, without resorting to such an ineffective method as punishment. Good luck on your fairy tale path!