Children love to hear and read about stories, no matter the reasoning behind the message. Kids learn best when they are more interested in the subject matter, and stories and fables are an even easier way for kids to practice reading and infer meaning and messages in books.
Making Sure They Understand
Mythology as a whole, though, can be a bit convoluted for kids, especially if they are younger. There are some great tales that can be easily relatable to younger children, such as Hercules or even the Odessey. But simply handing a book of mythology to your kids will most likely result in some confusion and maybe boredom, as some of the myths can be quite long, and may go over their heads. As well as some of the content may not always be appropriate for younger kids to read.
You will have to do a little research on some of the stories to make sure they are good for your kids to read. There are also many different books out there that are mythology tales rewritten for kids so that they can get the story but it may not contain any of the gory details, and make it easier for kids to understand the plot and story. You can always go that route for kids that are younger in case you aren’t quite sure how to read them one of the traditional myths, or you can take a relatively short myth and read it to them.
The Culture
Being able to read or hear about stories from years ago is a great way for your kids to understand the passage of time and how storytelling has changed. Some of these topics may be a little broad if you have younger children at home, but if you have a tween or teen that loves mythology, it can be a great way to lead some discussions or even debates if you also enjoy mythology. Greek mythology is also a good topic for your teenagers when it comes to homework or special projects, such as papers, where they need to find a particular topic and analyze it further. Depending on the age of your teen, you will still want to double check the content of the stories they want to read and make sure it is age appropriate (or as age appropriate as you see fit).
Katie Kyzivat