As a young mother, one of the concerns I had with fairy tales was that they were so violent. While the 3 Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood had final endings for the wolf, it seemed like there was some justification. After all, he’d wanted to eat them. On the other hand that’s what wolves do; they are, after all, predators. But Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves seemed to have way more than the others so I ‘edited’ it and just had Ali return home with the treasure after using the “Open Sesame” magic words and live happily ever after.
Other fairy tales use magic words, too. To children language itself is magical. Words 
have power, especially the word No, that 2 year olds love to use. One way to help children with kindergarten readiness is to do just that–use lots of words. Talking, singing, making up stories, reading books, asking questions, having pretend conversations, all help children expand their word power. Words fit into work time just as well as play time. When making the bed, talk about dreams. When doing the laundry use words as you sort out the loads–these are the darks, light clothes over here. Make up your own magic spells to do the dishes and make lunches. Words are powerful treasure and can “Open Sesame” on kindergarten.
What magic spells and treasure words can you share to help get kids ready for kindergarten?