Mirror, mirror on the wall – can we listen to fairy tales at all? 

Once upon a time there was a magic forest, a gingerbread house and big castles. This beginning is familiar to all of us. When we were younger, we used to listen to these fairy tales and hopefully enjoyed them. What makes them so important to us?  

First of all, they are fascinating. Who would not like to be a mermaid and swim in the ocean? Fairy tales help the younger generation to develop a huge imagination and make them creative thinkers. And of course, fairy tales are a part of our culture, and it is important to hand them down to our children.  

My favourite fairy tale was Sleeping Beauty when I was younger. I especially liked the Disney version. The fairies, the good and the evil ones, were my favourite characters, because they were so powerful. However, now Sleeping Beauty should be rewritten. It is horrible that Sleeping Beauty could not fight for herself. Instead, Prince Charming rescued her with a kiss. She could definitely handle it all by herself. This fairy tale sends the wrong picture to young women and girls. It implies that they need a man to be safe. This is awful and definitely not a message to convey in our world.  

Fairy tales will always be part of our culture, although there is a lot to fix in these stories. However, it is not wrong to listen to them or read them. So, if you read fairy tales to your children, just make sure they get the right picture of the world. So they can 'live' happily ever after.