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Yesterday, along with Beatrix Potter books, "Snow White" was one of the stories we read. It was just a little square board book version of the fairy tale. As I read, I used lots of expression and inflexion in my voice. The four-year-old girl sitting next to me listened with absolute rapt attention. She watched me with wide eyes.
When we were done reading, she took the Snow White book and climbed into a rocking chair and sat there poring over the book for probably the next hour. I think maybe she had never heard this fairy tale before. Maybe her parents don't do fairy tales.......oops......hopefully I didn't corrupt her. My mom read lots of fairy tales to me (maybe that's one of my problems). When you really think about it, many fairy tales contain anxiety-producing elements.......ugly trolls, child-eating old people, fire-breathing dragons, poisonous fruit, etc. Maybe those stories helped birth anxiety and its offspring, depression, in me, later in life. I'M KIDDING!
However, like I said, the little girl I was babysitting yesterday really took to this Snow White story. Maybe the concept of a lovely, innocent girl being stalked by a hateful queen with magical powers is a story that immediately resonates with a child? The child sympathizes and empathizes with Snow White's plight. I don't know, but for some reason tales of this ilk certainly have hung around for centuries as a classic story-line.
As the little girl sat there absorbed in the book, I saw myself doing the same at that age. Before I could read, I would pore intently over picture books, studying the details of every scene. I hope kids still do that.......I hope noisy, distracting television and video games haven't spoiled that forever. Quiet time alone with books is important for children, I think. It helps usher them onto that road of learning to look at life in their own unique way and think for themselves.
When we were done reading, she took the Snow White book and climbed into a rocking chair and sat there poring over the book for probably the next hour. I think maybe she had never heard this fairy tale before. Maybe her parents don't do fairy tales.......oops......hopefully I didn't corrupt her. My mom read lots of fairy tales to me (maybe that's one of my problems). When you really think about it, many fairy tales contain anxiety-producing elements.......ugly trolls, child-eating old people, fire-breathing dragons, poisonous fruit, etc. Maybe those stories helped birth anxiety and its offspring, depression, in me, later in life. I'M KIDDING!
However, like I said, the little girl I was babysitting yesterday really took to this Snow White story. Maybe the concept of a lovely, innocent girl being stalked by a hateful queen with magical powers is a story that immediately resonates with a child? The child sympathizes and empathizes with Snow White's plight. I don't know, but for some reason tales of this ilk certainly have hung around for centuries as a classic story-line.
As the little girl sat there absorbed in the book, I saw myself doing the same at that age. Before I could read, I would pore intently over picture books, studying the details of every scene. I hope kids still do that.......I hope noisy, distracting television and video games haven't spoiled that forever. Quiet time alone with books is important for children, I think. It helps usher them onto that road of learning to look at life in their own unique way and think for themselves.
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2 comments:
I love children's stories. I even took out the winnie the poo book I read as a child---or I should say--my neighbor read to me when I was a wee one. I love the humor in those books--so funny!! My Grandbaby doesn't watch tv and loves books (she is only 16 months) Her parents let her watch the muppet Christmas Carol at Christmas. But they are not allowing her to watch tv until she is older ;0)
First off, love your snow-covered haybales and the fact that you've bordered them. Hey, this is a good pic to use for Kacy's B&W Challenge! It's good!
I love reading to young children. I may have mentioned before that this is how I weaned each of my sons off the bottle. The lilt of my voice, and the wonderful stories. Thank God for books. They will never replace video games in my home.
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