Why Fairy Tales Matter for Children and Adults

Fairy tales are often seen as something that belongs to childhood. They’re associated with bedtime stories, picture books, and a world of imagination that we’re expected to leave behind as we grow older. But symbolic storytelling isn’t just for children. It’s also for adults — perhaps even more than we realize.

These stories aren’t just meant to entertain. They teach us how to look at the world. Through simple images and symbols, they speak to things that are deep but often unspoken: fear, courage, loss, hope. And they do so not by explaining, but by inviting us to feel.

For a child, a story is often the first encounter with narrative. Through it, they learn that good and evil exist, that choices have consequences, and that obstacles can be overcome. But the ending doesn’t always have to be happy or final. Sometimes, we don’t know what happens next. And that matters — because life is like that too. For adults, storytelling can be a space for reflection. It reminds us of what we may have forgotten: that imagination is not weakness, but strength. That not everything can be solved through logic and planning. That there is a space where things don’t need to be fixed right away. A story doesn’t ask us to be perfect. It asks us to be present.

In a world that moves fast, that measures everything, that demands results, narrative offers a space that asks for nothing. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t offer solutions. But it offers something else — stillness. A chance to pause, to breathe, to remember that we are human.

Symbolic stories nurture imagination. And imagination isn’t just for play. It’s needed to envision a different world. To empathize with others. To understand what isn’t said. Through storytelling, we develop the ability to see more broadly, to feel more deeply, to persist more gently.

These tales often include characters who are neither good nor bad. They are complex, just like us. And that’s important — because they teach us not to judge too quickly, to try to understand. They teach patience, courage, change. They show us that things don’t always resolve immediately, but they can evolve.

Storytelling is also a space for connection. When we share stories with children, we’re not just sharing content — we’re sharing time, attention, presence. When we read alone, we return to ourselves. Not to escape, but to remember who we are.

These forms don’t belong to the past. They are alive. Every new story carries something new. Every generation adds its own colors, its own fears, its own hopes. When we tell stories today, we’re not repeating old patterns — we’re participating in a conversation that continues.

That’s why fairy tales aren’t just for children. They’re for anyone seeking meaning, anyone who wonders, anyone who feels. They’re for those who want to connect — with themselves, with others, with a world that isn’t always simple.

In a time that often forgets silence, emotion, and the inner world — storytelling remains. Not to entertain us, but to hold us. To remind us that we’re not alone. To invite us to keep going, even when we’re not sure where we’re headed.

I write stories for broader use in multiple languages and gladly offer them for free use to people and children around the world.