Discworld books are compilations of jokes, strung together by things Sir Terry Pratchett is upset about and needs to get off his chest. For Hogfather (among other things), he's upset about the way children are treated. Because children are adults, back when magic was real and all the details of the world were new and written large.
They shouldn't be allowed to talk twee, because that's blatant manipulation. They're not innocent; they can be as cynical and pragmatic as any adult, when it comes to getting something they want. There's a reason they have to be prompted and taught to say "thank you".
They shouldn't be coddled. Modern, watered-down fairy tales are made for adults' sensibilities, not children's. Children are perfectly happy with blood in stories--so long as the blood happens by (or to) people who deserve it. Threaten them with a Loony Toons punishment (like knotting their arms behind their head) and they'll love it. And they'll listen, because you're taking them seriously by letting them in on the joke instead of talking over their heads, thinking they won't notice.
Children enjoy a book that's too hard for them, instead of what adults think will be wholesome and educational. And those books will be better for them too; children don't need how-to manuals about being children. Adults, on the other hand, can benefit from having their memories jogged about what childhood was really like.
A parent will say their child wants something innocent and mundane, like a doll or a toy pony. But the child wants a real pony that piddles all over the carpet and a full-sized sword. And they deserve that, because swords are educational; if the child hurts themselves, they've learned a very important lesson.
Best start them with a wooden one, though. There's a limit to what mistakes should be within reach of a child's mischievous hands.
What children shouldn't be threatened with is monsters. They can't be logiced out of monsters afterwards. They know better than adults that monsters exist; adults forget, because they keep giving the monsters names, explaining them, getting used to them, and then stop seeing them for what they are.
What adults can give children is The Poker That Kills Only Monsters. Protect them, give them a future, and show them that monsters can be dealt with, just like anything else. Done right, children will enjoy it so much they'll go out of the way to find some monsters. Because they love to see an adult teach a monster to fear The Poker.
GNU Terry Pratchett. I always wish I'd found you sooner.
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