Children love hearing and watching the same thing over and over again – those Disney classic movies never go out of style! And although you may be exhausted reading the same bedtime story to your kids, that book may very well be teaching your kids a valuable lesson.
Take a Break
We can’t always be harping at our children about what’s wrong or right, or how some situation should be handled. Kids will get tired of the hearing the same old parable or just the facts day in and day out, although repetition does do wonders for most people’s learning skillset. What you don’t want to do, though, is become a broken record from all the talking and teaching you’re doing, on top of what they’re already learning at school. This is where children’s books come in handy! They are a gateway to other styles of learning, as almost every book has a moral or lesson involved. So for once, you can take the backseat in talking to your kids and let the book “speak” for itself.
Classic Themes
One such fairy tale classic is the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Many people remember hearing this story and never wanting to be caught repeating the same warnings. Children can hear this tale over and over again and realize that their words have actions behind them, and of course, consequences. This helps in so many aspects of their lives, teaching them when and how to speak up about certain situations. If your children are really small, it can’t hurt to also discuss the book a little bit to ensure they are getting the message. But you can always leave it up to the words on the pages to do their stuff!
Topics You May Want Covered
There is a plethora of stories and morals that your children can read and learn about. Narrowing down the list of books and morals, though, may fall to you. If you’re having a hard time thinking of some concrete topics or morals, consider these as the most sought-after topics:
- Treating others as you’d want to be treated
- Don’t destroy other people’s items or property
- Always tell the truth
- Keep your promises
- No cheating
- Don’t judge
- Forgive others
There are many more lessons to be learned as a child, but these are usually the good starting points for most children. You don’t want to overwhelm them with story after story, each with a different moral. Be sure to read a few stories and re-read them as your children want to help solidify these life lessons before moving onto another story.
Katie Kyzivat