The Psychology of Fairy Tales and Why We Need them

While many will argue that fairy tales are pointless and cause harm to children, there are psychological reasons we need fairy tales; especially in today’s society. Why do we read fairy tale to our children if we know that they can be frightening?

Fairy tales help children develop, yes, I know that is hard to believe and the feminist of the world are screaming as I write this, but fairy tales can be beneficial in the development of our children. Teaching children not just the evil gender roles pushed by society, but they teach children about the challenges of life. Let’s face it, life is not all peaches and cream; there are many thorn laden roses in the world and children need to learn how to overcome the jabs of these thorns.

Bruno Bettelheim suggests, in his book The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tale, that fairy tales help to guide children toward “self-identification” allowing them a chance to reduce fears and discomforts in their world while learning problem solving skills and understanding that one can overcome challenges if they work hard.

These tales from Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel & Gretel, and Bluebeard all show us a happy ending once our heroines have surpassed some type of challenge and only then will things go right. Fairy tales teach children the virtue of patience, all good things come to those who wait but they also…