From childhood, we all remember the sayings and jokes about the curious Varvara, Babayka, who lives under the bed, and Santa Claus, who brings gifts for good behavior. As we grow up, we pass these stories on to our children. But why?
In fact, all these funny children’s rituals are a useful parenting method that teaches you to be organized, helps you adapt to change and cope with difficulties, and allows you to acquire good habits.
Tooth Fairy – a fairy-tale character, traditional for modern Western culture. Legend has it that she gives the child a small amount of money (or sometimes a gift) instead of a baby tooth that has fallen out and is placed under a pillow.
Main benefit from the Tooth Fairy is that the child receives compensation for the pain or troubles that accompany the loss of a tooth. In addition, he gets used to taking care of himself, which may be useful to him later.
The Russian analogue of the Tooth Fairy is a mouse that lives in every house in a mink. The fallen milk tooth is thrown into some depression and said: “For you, mouse, a simple tooth, give me a gold one!”
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Santa Claus – the main fairy-tale character at the New Year’s holiday, the East Slavic version of the Christmas donor. Santa Claus is depicted as an old man in a colored – blue, blue, red or white – fur coat, with a long white beard and a staff in his hand, in felt boots. Rides three horses. He is inseparable from his granddaughter Snegurochka, usually depicted in a white, silver or blue fur coat. This character on New Year’s Eve leaves a gift under the tree for those children who behaved well throughout the year.
Main benefit from Santa Claus is that the fear of being left without a present disciplines the child, teaches him to be responsible for his actions.
What parents do not do so that their children go to bed on time. Here are some options.
· Catcher of fears. Together with the child, we construct a trap for bad dreams and hang it over the bed.
· Reading a fairy tale or singing a lullaby at night. This option is not only the most common, but also the simplest.
· Putting favorite toys to bed. Here the child takes on the role of a parent in the form of play.
· Secrets. This option is suitable for older children (over 3 years old). This is the basis for the formation of a trusting relationship between parent and child, and also allows the child to feel like an important part of the family.
Main benefit from the rituals of falling asleep is that they help not only when you need to calm down the fidget and teach him to fall asleep, but also help to cope with fears and psychological problems.
Bogeyman (Babayka) – in Slavic folklore, a night spirit, an imaginary creature mentioned by parents to intimidate naughty children. Babay, as a rule, is not described at all, in this case children can imagine him in the most terrible form.
He is usually described as an old man, black and lopsided, often also with physical defects characteristic of descriptions of evil spirits (dumb, armless or lame), walks with a knapsack or sack in which he takes naughty children.
Usually Babai is mentioned so that naughty children do not go to dangerous places. In this case, the parents say that Babay will take the child if he goes to a forbidden place.
Main benefit from Babay is that in this way parents can teach the child to safety rules, to discipline.
A child can cry for various reasons: he fell and bruised his knee, bumped against something during the game, or maybe he was offended that he was given a tasteless medicine. Do not leave the crying child alone, in no case do not scold him in such cases – this will only begin to pile up the wall of misunderstanding between yourself and your child. Caress the baby and comfort with jokes:
The cat hurts
The dog hurts
The horse hurts
And Vanyusha doesn’t hurt!
One tooth, two teeth –
Soon Dasha is one year old!
Daughter whimpers again
Let’s console Dasha:
Already you, teeth, grow up
Little by little, little by little –
Do not disturb your daughter to sleep!
Do not bother her to play!
Let’s jump and jump
Hug Mom gently!
Main benefit consists in the fact that the baby will be sure that he always has someone to share his misfortune with, he will always be understood, listened to and helped. Affectionate words of nursery rhymes magically affect the baby by themselves, and if they are pronounced in an affectionate gentle voice, the effect is doubled, the child quickly calms down and laughs and plays again.