Once upon a time… – By Simran Khatri, Hampton High

If you are aware of these sorts of fairy tales- then the upcoming generation of children will have undoubtedly heard of these stories as well. Children, the future generation- those who will one day be made to carry the weight of life upon their shoulders. Are the fairy tales the best way to introduce the next generation to reality?

Reality and the truth about society is difficult to find in a world where children’s literature and mainstream media is heavily focused on “princess culture.” A conventional fairy tale follows the plot line of a so called damsel in distress- a young woman faced with adversity with seemingly no way out. Until a “prince in shining armour” comes to free her from the challenges of the world and make everything better. However, this is harmful to the next generation because young girls should not be taught that they need someone else to be able to defend themselves from threat or to face challenges. Independence is necessary. Young girls should not be told at a young age that they are nothing without a boy romantically present in their life. This is extremely harmful as it can cause self esteem issues for young girls- continuing on into their teenage years as it sets unrealistic expectations for romance and sexual relationships. A girl should never have to feel like she is worthless without a boy in her life. Fairy tales which are drilled into the minds of these young girls at an early age set the notion that they need a “prince” to be able to feel as royal as a “princess”.

Furthermore, these tales are also dangerous because the women and men depicted within the stories fit into a category of hyper obscure body standards. Princesses are shown to have the littlest of waists, while Princes must be muscular to make them seem attractive. Body image and standards is a prominent issue within society currently, as many feel as though they cannot fit the standards for what qualifies as attractive in this day and age. Surely, parents wouldn’t want their children to experience the same sort of self-esteem issues that are derived from not looking the same as your favourite princess or prince.

Although, fairy tales and stories made for children can also be incredibly beneficial as they entertain children while teaching the basic structure of telling a story- which will be helpful during their school career. Fairy tales can also foster child development by allowing children to experience their imaginations and creativity. Literature for children also helps theme to understand certain themes such as love and hate- helping them to understand emotions and the how their actions may cause another person to feel either upset or happy.

Fairy tales are important for children because once upon a time, in a land far far away- they will need the skills learnt from these trivial stories in order to build relationships and live a life with emotional intelligence in their back pocket.