So many stories start out with either one or both parents out of the picture or dead. Why? What type of message is this supposed to send to children? I was on the phone with my mom today, and I asked her if I ever questioned the absences of parents in stories when I was little. She responded, "ALL THE TIME!" On one hand, I find that hard to believe that I was so puzzled by this because I do not remember at all. On the other hand, do most kids pick up on this? Why did I wonder about this as a child? I guess there is no actual answer. Some kids interpret, while some kids just hear the literal story as it's written. Why do the authors choose to kill off the parents? And if there is one present, why do they put step-parents out to always be "evil"? This could significantly impact children that come from one parent house-holds that are trying to continue there lives with a new spouse. ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS DEEPLY PUZZLE ME!
I guess I just don't understand the demographic that authors are trying to target by having parents absent from a majority of stories. Maybe it's just me, but I think parents are an influential part of children's development and should be illustrated as a greater role in children's books.
I noticed the trend of only having one parent in these stories as well. I do not understand why these characters come from a broken family. This concept may be sending the wrong message to children by implying that only people from broken families have fairy tale endings. If this is the case then what happens to children who come from whole families? I think Disney movies are great for a child's development but I believe children's books should be used as well. Balancing both will expand the child's thought process instead of just exposing them to one form of development.
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