“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”  -Albert Einstein

When I taught pre-school I had a pair of parents who questioned and challenged the curriculum we taught. They wanted to have the school dismiss all fairy tale books and projects we conducted with the children. Some of their reasons were that they condoned violence and portrayed women as inferior creatures. I argued with the parents that the stories I read were part of the American literature that we all grew up with. These books helped show the differences between right and wrong. Even more importantly these sort of stories opened up a world of imagination to children.

But that was just the problem...they didn't want their child to have an imagination.They wanted their child to face reality and for the pre-school to incorporate books on poverty and starvation around the world. I couldn't believe these parents. Don't get me wrong, I understand that children should face reality at some point. However a child becomes a better individual when they have a mind that reaches beyond this world. A mind that can lead to writing incredible books to building something that no one ever thought of.

So to those parents who limited the chance for their child to explore the world and make his own interpretations about it...I hope that he defies your ideas. I hope he one day strives to reach beyond his own dreams.