***Spoiler alert: Don't read this post with little kids hanging around. It will totally ruin the holidays for them!
One of my pet peeves is when well meaning adults try to give my children a bit of fun that leads to me doing damage control. Example: Yesterday at preschool, the Easter Bunny hid eggs all over the playground while Thing 3 was in class. The kids got to go find the eggs and take them home. Fun, right? Well, I have been fielding questions ever since. Why did the Easter Bunny come when it's not Easter? Did he go to the big boys' school? Is he coming back tomorrow? Last week we walked by the Easter Bunny at the mall, and I totally had to distract Thing 2 and Thing 3 as we walked by - not because they would want to sit on his lap and get their picture taken, because of the questions that would result. That's the Easter Bunny? Why is he bigger than normal bunnies? Why is he here and not at a mall in a different city? Does he like to eat carrots?
The worst is Christmas. All the different Santas. I know they mean well, but they don't look anything alike, and kids are smart. Last year's church Christmas party was nice, and my 17 year old neighbor got to play Santa. Very fun, but it didn't work for my kids AT ALL. After sitting on his lap, the boys had things to say about it. Thing 2: Mom, I just sat on Matt's lap! Weird! He's not really Santa. Thing 3: Mom, why is Matt wearing Santa's clothes?
Every year we go to Sparky's work Christmas party for the kids of the employees. At least there they have the same Santa and Mrs. Claus every year. Things 2 and 3 are convinced that this is the real Santa (he really looks great), although they still ask me why he's here and not at the North Pole, and where is his sleigh and reindeer? Shouldn't he be getting ready for Christmas eve? Why can't my kids be like the other kids at the party and just blindly accept Santa and live in a state of pure bliss?
About a year and a half ago, Thing 1 and I were in the car together without the others, and he admitted to me that he knew that Santa wasn't real. I remember feeling really conflicted about it - I couldn't decide if I wanted to cry or pull over the car so I could dance a jig of celebration. I asked him how long he'd known, and he said since before last Christmas. When I asked him why he didn't tell us then, he said that he didn't want to ruin it for me and his Dad, so he just went along with it.
I know I'm going to miss everything when the other two stop believing. Thing 2 is already on the verge. But until then, everyone pass the word around to play it cool with the world of pretend. I heard the Tooth Fairy came by Thing 2's classroom recently, and I'm not looking forward to THAT conversation.
6 comments:
Alex has never questioned about the Easter Bunny, but as far as Santa goes he knows that all the Santas he sees are fake. That the REAL Santa is busy so he needs all these helpers and they will go report to Santa. Once in while he will see a particularly good Santa and ask if I think he may be the real Santa and always say I dont know but maybe. As far as thing 1 goes, we have a rule at our house "Stop believing- stop receiving" Even Erin will tell you she still believes :-)
We have the same policy as Shirley. "If you don't believe, you don't receive" but I have, since becoming a parent, felt that the whole deal is a rip off. I spend weeks getting ready for Easter, and then some bunny gets the credit. hmmm... same for Santa... Whose idea was it to have children thank some etherial being that doesn't exist, while the people who did all the work look on? When I was a teenager. My Mom said that the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy died in a car accident. Brutal, I know, but my Mom has that kind of sense of humor. I still got presents, but I knew who to thank.
Oh, Jen, you handled that car crash news from your mom without future therapy? I could never pull that off with my kids.
Lyle's parents always basically said that Santa and the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy were fun things to pretend. Lyle even remembers hiding with his siblings in the bedroom next to the family room (I would think his parents HAD to sense the presence of 8 kids next door)and peek through the cracked-open door to watch them put out Christmas presents.
I never push the Santa is real thing. If they ask any pressing questions I always just turn it back on them and say, "What do you think?" It they come up with some weird story about how Santa can be in 100 malls at one time, I'm O.K. with that and figure they're still young enough to want to make-believe. I think that only still includes Maya at this point.
Still, it's fun though. Even my big kids still say "Look what Santa brought!" on Christmas morning and not, "Hey, thanks Mom and Dad."
Sorry about basketball last night. Lyle and I were sick and terrible hosts for the YM/YW who were at our house for capture the flag. Did you have enough to play? I'm excited to go next week.
We only had seven people there last night. It was actually pretty fun. Everyone was asking me where you were. You were missed!
As for the "You don't believe, you don't receive" thing, we're doing the same thing we did in my family when I was growing up - as long as someone in the family believes, the kid get presents from Santa. Then there is major incentive for the older ones to keep their mouths shut!
First of all, I still believe in Santa. (in the spirit as well)
Also, I am so jealous I can't play with ya'll. It is killing me. I finally played the other day with some people in my ward, but it is not the same. It has been a year and half and I am still having issues. UGH!
I figured out that Santa didn't exist because one Christmas Eve when I was pretty young, my dad dressed up in a full-on Santa costume and he and mom came into my room. My mom woke me up to tell me santa wanted to say hi. I was so excited until I climbed on his lap and looked up at his face and saw my dad's freckles and eyes. I didn't want to hurt my dad's feelings so I pretended to keep believing after that for a while. I felt so bad for my dad.
Post a Comment