Over the years of working with children, both my own and in a classroom or childcare environment, I have come to treasure the healing power that stories have to address behavioural problems, fears, and issues that children face. More effective that counselling, intellectual or logical explanations and reasoning, stories bypass the intellectual thinking and go straight to the heart, the feeling realm, and help the children to understand and face the issue without feeling threatened or like they’re being told off.
My first encounter with the therapeutic stories was with Susan Perrow, and since then, I have found that when faced with inconsolable tantrums, stubbornness, children who refuse to be reasoned with, and repeated undesirable behaviour and seemingly unchangeable mindsets, beliefs or fear, a little story, sometimes made up on the spot, can go a long way to open the hearts and minds of the children. Sometimes, I even begin a story without knowing the ending, or even what I’m going to say next, and open myself to divine inspiration, and the story develops by itself. Sometimes, a tantrum or crisis can be calmed and soothed by the dreamy words, “Once upon a time…”
As a parent and a Waldorf / Steiner school teacher, I use stories to address behavioural issues and paint a picture in their minds and hearts of how things could be. Phobias, disruptive or anti-social behaviour can be addressed subtly and imaginatively using through stories that we make up that express the child’s struggle and triumph or acceptance over the difficult situation.
I started this blog to share some of the stories that I have told over the years to address issues ranging from deep-seated phobias to tantrums over putting on shoes! It isn’t easy being a parent or a teacher and I hope that these stories will help, inspire and benefit more people, both children and adults.
Serene's Healing Stories for Children 