Once upon a time, a bedtime story was the norm. For some, it was Fairy Tales and some, Tales by Moonlight. This helped in creating bonds between parents and their children, which in turn grew their interaction through life.
These days, children almost always have to be begged to stop playing video games, watching YouTube or TikTok videos, and get to bed. If they are reading at all, they are reading about a futuristic world. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing bad in imagining another world with flying cars, space travel, colonies on Mars, and every other futuristic thing you can think up. That is why we have our imagination. However, I have a lot to say about allowing children to play video games and watch TikTok videos on a school day, but that would be another day.
I grew up listening, reading, and watching fairy tales. It helped play a part in who I have become today and my love for books. Unlike what some people think, that it doesn’t make children see the world for what it is, shielding them from the real world; it is actually full of lessons that can be applied to the present day.
For example, take the story of Snow White, who received an apple from a strange old woman, ate it, and went into a coma. If you had parents or siblings like mine, you are asked what you have learned once the tale ends. A well-taught Yoruba child would never take food offered by a stranger, not to talk of eating it. The Three Little Pigs teaches patience, endurance, and planning. Rumplestiltskin teaches that there are consequences to every action you take. Little Red Riding Hood teaches one should be careful of whom one trusts even if they are kind to you. Each lesson learned is drilled into your brain, which is still in me and most of my generation.
To get a realistic feel and have other people’s opinions, I asked a group of people when was the last time they heard or told a fairy tale, and the response was shocking. They mentioned that the pandemic, inflation, and happenings in the country were some reasons why they hadn’t given Fairy Tales a thought or even had time to read them to their younger ones or kids. Because of this, the knowledge of Fairy Tales among the younger generation is dying.
Thankfully enough, filmmakers and writers are putting a spin on these tales by turning them into modern stories/movies we can enjoy. At first, I had an issue with the new take as my beloved tales were being changed. It was until I realized that even the Disney version isn’t the original version that I paused my radical call for a stop to them ( All in my head).
The most famous of these tales and one of my favorites were those written by Hans Christian Andersen. While not all of them have happy endings, at the very least, there are lessons to be learned- moral lessons like staying safe, being kind, forgiving others, working hard, and not telling lies.
Even if one does not have the time to read it to them, getting them the books would go a long way in improving the reading culture and keeping fairy tales and the lessons they entail alive. Fairy Tales help spark children’s imagination and, from there, help build upon what would become their foundation.
While some would advocate for in-your-face truths, which is good, one must remember they are children. They need to be helped to continue to believe in a greater good and that no matter how terrible situations might be, solutions can be found, and while it might not be happily ever after, we are on the path to it.
