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Continuing Adventures of Nivid
May 21, 2007
There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.
-Willa Cather
-Willa Cather
"First of all Nivid 'did' see the whole film but looked disinterested and impatient. I hoped he would be more enthusiastic, firstly because Cinderella was one of my favourites as a child, secondly it's a classic and every kid around the world has usually loved the story of Cinderella, and thirdly, I had spent a 100 bucks on it!
"On seeing no positive reaction from him, I prodded him a little bit about what he felt about the film...here's what he said:
'It's a girly film, I didn't like it, and secondly, the story is all wrong!'
"Girly film ...I understand, but why did you say the story is wrong? What is wrong?" I asked, curious. (What could be wrong anyway, it's a classic, and classics are classics, not wrong!, I thought)
"'It's fully wrong! The part where the clock strikes 12, and everything goes back to how it was before..the carriage turns back into a pumpkin, the horses into mice, her party clothes into rags...only her glass slippers don't turn into anything nor dissappear...YOU KNOW WHY?' he said, hands on his hips, and chin up, his most militant posture.
"Why?, I asked...realising he seemed right...
"'Because, if they did, the story would not go ahead and they wouldn't be able to find Cinderella the way they did, and whoever wrote the story (and is probably turning in his grave right now) couldn't think of them finding her any other way... so they kept the glass slippers. It's wrong... totally wrong...' he muttered and walked away, leaving me blinking in bewilderment."
Both the mother and Swati Popat, who shared this story, added their commentary, but I prefer to let everyone interpret this on their own. Please share your comments below.
Karen Stephens has written 180 Parenting Exchange articles which provide practical advice for parents on the joys and challenges of the contemporary family. You can have this entire library of articles at your fingertips to use in your newsletter, to print or e-mail, and share with staff and parents whenever your parents need advice: The Complete Parenting Exchange Library! And this week only, the entire collection is on sale, at more than a 20% discount.
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A New Career Helping Young Children Develop and Learn
Learn how to give a young child the very best foundation possible �" with a Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood Development at National University.
Learn how to give a young child the very best foundation possible �" with a Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood Development at National University.
Comments (10)
Displaying All 10 CommentsShah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
sigh...children are not as 'gullible' as they used to be. My 4-yr old (when he was younger) used to give me the strangest look when I 'animated' a stuffed toy animal by holding it in front of him, making what I thought were appropriate sounds. When he could speak, it was a 'Mama...that's not a Reeeaal dog...'. Nowadays we use our swords to slay 'pretend dragons' & fight 'pretend bad knights'
Educational Consulting
Cambridge, MA 02140, United States
Nivid is a fascinating child who thinks about things in very sophisticated ways. How wise of his Mother and teacher to talk to him and to encourage him to express his thoughts rather than correcting him. I hope and pray he has teachers who give him interesting and challenging lessons and materials; he will not be satisfied with basics that can be memorized. He already is demonstrating metacognition skills. He'll profit from real conversation, such as his Mother had with him. I hope to hear more about him! What a guy!
bombay cambridge gurucool malad
mumbai, maharashtra, United States
Nivid is todays child who uses all the 6 wise man..after all he is swati mam's student...
its time for us as part of the base to think beyond the line..and be more creative..
thanks to Nivid
Choices for Children
Evanston, IL, United States
This is like the story of the Emperor's new clothes. A child, from one point of view, sees something that is so obvious. Why didn't the shoes change.
Well, as said, it is a fairy tale. It is fiction, not a documentary. Suspending belief at times is okay.
For Nivid, that is not where he is.
Maybe later on, he can write his own story.
child develoment inc.
Huntington Beach, CA, United States
Not only do I agree with the son's realistic approach, I would further the notion that the Cinderella story is extremely outdated with sexist and racist overtures. Disney continues to revive the story for each new generation of girls to fall in love with the notion that a great "white prince" will save you if you just wait around. Find a new story to create great memories with.
United States
As I recall from my Children's Literature course in college, many years ago, there are several 'original' versions of this classics; not just the Grimm brother, Perrault is one I believe, Disney is just the latest and perhaps the most well known at this point in time.
To me this child perhaps has a better grasp of 'creativity' than those of us who do not challenge the lessons that adults try to teach us. A common practice at this time of the year in many of the preschool classrooms that I have worked in is to allow children to suggest alternate endings to stories.
Manhattan, KS, United States
This child still has enough imagination and creativity, we are the ones who are clouded and do not see the possibilities!
Until the moment I read this story, I never dreamt there would be any other way for the prince to find Cinderella! I settled for what the story of Cinderella had told me, not questioning or even thinking beyond the box. Thank you Nivid, for reminding us to always ask "WHY?"
Child & Family Resources
Mt. Arlington, New Jersey, United States
Enchantment is a wonderful part of childhood and part of the child's world of play. The importance of play and not always understood by the general population and children's education is not always developmentally appropriate. Has this child had enough opportunity to develop imagination and wonder?
Phoenix, AZ, United States
If everyone would read and follow
the original by the brother's Grimm
and not use the Disney version
maybe more of the "fairy tales"
related to real life.
United States
All fiction requires a suspension of reality. When this suspension cannot be maintained the story looses it's appeal. Then the analysis of how bad the story is starts. No big deal.
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