Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Imagination vs. Truth
Yesterday, September 22 Jaden lost a tooth at school and a tooth during that night's FHE treat. Two in one day! He looks so cute. We have never talked about the tooth fairy, but Jaden has heard about her at school. We just did Santa for the first time this year. Mike had a worry about lying to the children. We are still winging it, I guess on what we should do about the holidays. I am all about just enjoying the holidays and using the imagination. Mike's not totally against it either, but because of this indescion we did not know what to do about the Tooth Fairy last night. As we were putting Jaden to bed he talked about the tooth fairy not being real, because he knows fairies are not real. I agreed with him, as he still put his teeth under his pillow. =) So Mike and I put some money and a note from Mom and Dad with his teeth. When I went to get him in the morning he looked sad. I had a guess as to why. He said nothing was wrong, but as he was in the bathroom I heard him say in a sad voice. I knew it was just Mom and Dad. I went up to talk to Mike and cried. I felt sad for him too. He knew fairies were not really, but still wanted to experience his teeth being gone and money there from the tooth fairy. He wanted that experience with his childhood imagination. I too wanted to pretend and to let him enjoy childhood imaginations, but we did it the boring, as a matter of fact way. Mike talked to him and he opened up and was fine about it all. We expressed that our love for him was there which is real and stonger than the tooth fairy. He went off to school happy to take his teeth to show and tell, as the tooth fairy did not have them. So what do you think... does imagination make an effect on truth later on a child?
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2 comments:
It's a tough one. I've thought about it myself. But my parents did the whole Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny thing, and I turned out fine. I never had any emotional break down when I found out they weren't real, and I never had a problem with distinguishing truth from fiction, and I never had trust issues with my parents. Kids are flexible, so I don't think it really matters too much what you do.
Since I just found your blog I'm commenting very late. We do all 3. We have always told them that yes there is a Santa and Santa does bring the presents. As they have gotten older, we have taken them aside to share a wonderful secret. That yes Santa is real but not as a person living at the North Pole. Santa is the anonymous name that people use so that they can share with others. As a big girl, they are now older enough to be a santa to anyone that they want to help, and I let them know that while most Santa gifts come from parents, not all do. Charlie and Emily have found this both comforting and exciting. It helps Christmas focus more on giving and less on getting. This is when we also tell them that there's no Easter bunny or tooth fairy, but they really already knew that.
BTW- the best Easter idea I've seen is we have friends who do their egg hunt the Monday after Easter. All the moms go to the store 1st thing in the morning and buy the 1/2 price candy and do the hunt after work as F.H.E., had we thought of this we totally would have done it from the start, but right now we do the bunny thing and the Monday egg hunt.
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