How Stories Aid Kids to be more Positive

Back in my day, parents were more centered on what kind of job a kid would have when they grew up. So there was a lot of conversation around the dinner table about the preferred occupations. Some people think this is a good thing. But according to studies, it just makes kids think they had to aspire in that direction which puts pressure on them.

The consensus today is that we should not ask that question, rather we should ask a child what kind of person they want to be. That makes sense to me because this is something kids can do something about. You do not want a child to puzzle over their occupation when they cannot even choose what color of shirt to wear that day.

They can see in the ages between 6-8 years old that other kids are different in varying ways. Judging by their own personal reactions, they sense what kind of person is more agreeable and pick up on the ones to avoid. So they learn there are habits and ways of behaving that are more acceptable and of course, they know what they like too.

When a story is read to them or they read it themselves, they find characters that are familiar who run into issues they can identify with. This brings about an opportunity to see what the character would do. How that person found a solution is helpful to kids. It is made even easier to accept because an animal is helping the character to learn something.

So animals appeal to kids. They understand critters and want to relate. When an animal comes us with a solution, it is acceptable. That is how I try to help kids with solutions.