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A Parent Who From His Own Childhood Experience Is Convinced Of The Value Of Fairy Tales Will Have No Difficulty In Answering His Child's Questions; But An Adult Who Thinks These Tales Are Only A Bunch Of Lies Had Better Not Try Telling Them; He Won't Be Able To Related Them In A Way Which Would Enrich The Child's Life.

-Bruno Bettelheim

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A Parent Who From His Own Childhood

Bruno Bettelheim

A Parent Who From His Own Childhood Experience Is Convinced Of The Value Of Fairy Tales Will Have No Difficulty In Answering His Child's Questions; But An Adult Who Thinks These Tales Are Only A Bunch Of Lies Had Better Not Try Telling Them; He Won't Be Able To Related Them In A Way Which Would Enrich The Child's Life.

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For Those Who Immerse Themselves In What The Fairy Tale Has To Communicate, It Becomes A Deep, Quiet Pool Which At First Seems To Reflect Only Our Own Image; But Behind It We Soon Discover The Inner Turmoils Of Our Soul - Its Depth, And Ways To Gain Peace Within Ourselves And With The World, Which Is The Reward Of Our Struggles.

The Parent Must Not Give In To His Desire To Try To Create The Child He Would Like To Have, But Rather Help The Child To Develop--in His Own Good Time--to The Fullest, Into What He Wishes To Be And Can Be, In Line With His Natural Endowment And As The Consequence Of His Unique Life In History.

Punishment May Make Us Obey The Orders We Are Given, But At Best It Will Only Teach An Obedience To Authority, Not A Self-control Which Enhances Our Self-respect.

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