Children already know that dragons exist. “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. I read once in an academic article soon after the death of my own father that it is normal and common for children to worry from time to time about the death of their parents. A glimpse into a happy ending is important too. I also like what Gerald Huther said, “Fairy tales are an instrument for passing down important messages about our own management of life and the development of relationships.”ĭisney’s Cinderella might be about a pretty dress and the ball, but the original fairy tale is about family and parental love, sibling rivalry and child abandonment. They contain implicit and explicit meanings, instructions for survival, if you please. The classical fairy tales were passed down to us from generation to generation for a number of important reasons. They go through inner conflicts and confusing stages of development and what’s more, they don’t have adult maturity and language skills to put it into words and deal with it head on. But one powerful point often overlooked is the fairytale’s ability to help children deal with life. On the surface they don’t do anything, just bide their time looking pretty and waiting to be rescued. It’s easy to get snarky about princesses. They should come to their own conclusions, in their own time and on their own terms. A couple of Cinderella books will not cause it, especially if they are read by a caring adult, guiding the discussion and helping children develop critical thinking skills.
The wide range of conditions blamed on fairy tales is staggering, but I strongly believe that eating disorders, depression, low self-esteem, impaired academic achievement are the result of a total environment. Our lives are shaped profoundly by many different things. I believe there is an important place for Cinderella stories in a well balanced childhood! I agreed with some of the points, but mostly not. I read Reviving Ophelia, In a Different Voiceand Cinderella Ate My Daughterall before my daughter was even a year old.
I know, I know, I’ve been warned all along of the dangerous Cinderella. I skipped towards the display shelf and merrily grabbed the book. Nor did I cover my kids’ eyes and stir them in another direction. When I walked into the library last week and noticed a new Cinderella book on the display shelf I knew exactly what I had to do.
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