I’m a Christian parent who reads fairytales to my children - this is why

Ally Townsend shows how Christian parents can use fairytales and ancient stories to inspire courage, highlight hope, and help children see the ultimate happy ending in Christ

Stepping into another world

Once upon a time, I shunned fairytales from concern that they might show my children poor role-models, introduce them to the occult, reveal the darker side of humanity, and confuse them about the Bible’s reliability. But exposure to the world and purpose of fairytales gave me an awareness of the need for otherworldly stories in human experience. I’ve learnt how learning the tales of old can aid our connection with Scripture and why fairytales and Christian faith are not mutually exclusive,

Let’s clarify what I mean by fairytales. Forget popularised big-screen musical cartoons of the last 70 years. C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Martin Shaw, Hans Christian Anderson, Lisa Schneidau and others brought me back to the old tales, the folk tales, the ones connected to our ancient rural land. The ones that help us see God’s creation more deeply because they draw our attention to things that our science lessons and urban-church-going lifestyles never could.

Story is powerful. We need romance, discomfort, mystery, and adventure that comes from outside our measurable world

Story is powerful. We need romance, discomfort, mystery, and ……