Growing up as a ridiculously handsome young boy in England, I

was surrounded by fairytales, many of which were adapted into highly successful movies.

As my mother was, and still is, an English teacher she used to read many to me as bedtime stories when I was an infant. Actually I loved all of them but my absolute favourite would have to be Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

I loved the story itself but more the lessons that my mother would integrate and relate to the fairytale. The seven dwarfs: Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey would all be described by mother with stories about either people she knew (or made up). I used to love these just as much.

She also taught me about how Snow White loved the dwarfs for who they are, not what they looked like and this is a sentiment that I’ve tried to carry with me for my whole life.

And with that, I feel, is the underlying message of many fairytales. Yes, they are entertaining, fun and cleverly written but they all carry a deeper meaning which can leave an indelible mark on a child’s mind.

That’s why if and when I have children of my own I’ll be very selective about the fairytales I choose and how I tell them.

See ya!