Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy

perth · 07-06-2004, 05:31 PM

When I was 5 I think, after losing a tooth I told my mom I didn't believe in the tooth fairy. Her reply, I don't exactly remember, but it was something implying that if I didn't believe then maybe she wouldn't be able to visit.

I went to bed that night confident in my belief that my mother would be in shortly to deposit a gift under my pillow. I awoke at about 2 AM and was horrified to discover the tooth still there. I ran crying to my mother's room, professing my very deep and hearfelt belief in the Tooth Fairy. She calmed me and explained that the Tooth Fairy was probably running late but that I was most assuredly on the list. She tucked me back in, sang me a song and left the room. I closed my eyes and did my best to fall asleep. About five minutes later I heard the door open and after a moment felt a hand slip under my pillow. I could also vaguely smell my mother's perfume, but I kept my eyes closed the whole time in what I'm sure was a poor impression of being asleep.

After the door closed, I tucked my hand under the pillow and found the "Tooth Fairy" had left not only a quarter, but a sticker book with stickers.

That night I learned a couple important lessons. First of all, I knew for a fact that the Tooth Fairy didn't exist. Second of all, I gained a slightly better understanding of just how much my mother loved me.

Shortly after Jamey was born, I remembered this incident, and learned a harsher lesson. The falsehoods we are taught as children are often more important than the truths. Fantasy is part of growing up, and there is no easy way of letting that go. And so you really shouldn't. I think the best you can do is allow children to have that fantasy. Without tearing it away from them, show them the truth while at the same time reaffirming the idea that fantasy is and important and a precious part of being a child.

I've mentioned it before in the Santa Claus thread somewhere, but my plan is to make sure Jamey gets the experience of Santa Claus and the like. But I intend to treat it as a fun game of pretend to enhance the true experiences.

Edit: I might have the age wrong, all I really remember is that I wasn't in school (may have been summer break) and that the Transformers were hugely popular.

zippyt · 07-06-2004, 10:24 PM

Well belive what you want , i KNOW santa is real !!! One winter our pipes froze , all i wanted for xmas was for those damn pipes to un freeze , they did on xmas morning . The tooth fairy can be fun , i had a friend that had a bad wreck looseing most of his teeth , the nurses retrived them for his mom and as he laid in a hospitol bed only semi concus they put his teeth under his pillow and the tooth fairy came and left him some loot , money and activity books . It made his day !!!

wolf · 07-06-2004, 11:56 PM

A friend of mine has decided that the Tooth Fairy has more than enough business to attend to, and has arranged that a FOTF (Friend of the Tooth Fairy) attends personally to her children.

The "Mousies" come to visit whenever a tooth is lost. The tooth is carefully placed in a porcelain box purchased for each child on the occasion of the first tooth loss.

Along with the tooth and a note to the mousies a cookie is placed next to the box. This is to teach the children that it is as important to give as to receive. The Mousies write a reply to the letter, as well as leaving a gift (not always cash) in exchange for the cookie and the tooth.

Both sets of grandparents are on board with respect to the Mousies in the event that tooth loss occurs during an overnight visit.

juju · 07-07-2004, 12:33 AM

Intentionaly deceiving children without a good reason is horribly wrong. When kids eventually find out their parents have been perpetuating a fantasy and fucking with their heads, I think some measure of respect and trust in the parents is lost.

But of course it depends on the degree to which the truth was covered up. If kids know the truth and participate in the fantasy anyway, then there's no harm in that.

lumberjim · 07-07-2004, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juju

Intentionaly deceiving children without a good reason is horribly wrong.

but there IS a good reason. it's FUN to believe in Santa. Dont tell me you didnt enjoy christmas eve more than anything you could imagine.

think of it. You're 6, and you're wearing your footy pajamas. there's a fire. The pine from the tree and the smell from the fire combine to create a smell that you will forever associate with christmas, and joy, and comfort. you've been stringing popcorn, and drinking hot chocolate while watching the 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' old school cartoon (you kow the one; with burl Ives as frosty) Mom has a batch of cookies going to leave out for Santa, and you suddenly remember the reindeer, and dash to the fridge to get a carrot for Rudolph. While the cookies bake, you all pile onto the couch and Mom or Dad reads "T'was the Night Before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

damn, i got chiils!

It's all built up around Santa coming, and Magic, and anticipation! AS a kid, this is the biggest night of the whole year. and a year is a long damn time when you're 6.

or you can just tell your kids that exchanging gifts is a tradition, and no, you can't open any of them until December 25th. now get your soggy little ass off my carpet with those shoes. "Honey! Dinner's ready!"

juju · 07-07-2004, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjim

think of it. You're 6, and you're wearing your footy pajamas. there's a fire. The pine from the tree and the smell from the fire combine to create a smell that you will forever associate with christmas, and joy, and comfort. you've been stringing popcorn, and drinking hot chocolate while watching the 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' old school cartoon (you kow the one; with burl Ives as frosty) Mom has a batch of cookies going to leave out for Santa, and you suddenly remember the reindeer, and dash to the fridge to get a carrot for Rudolph. While the cookies bake, you all pile onto the couch and Mom or Dad reads "T'was the Night Before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

damn, i got chiils!

It's all built up around Santa coming, and Magic, and anticipation! AS a kid, this is the biggest night of the whole year. and a year is a long damn time when you're 6.

Everything here can also be true of a 6 year old who knows Santa isn't real. I don't necessarily think kids need to be deceived for the above to be true.

But, you know, my kid is only 8 months old. So, take heart in the fact that eventually my ideology will crash into reality and perhaps be forced to reevaluate itself. :)

lumberjim · 06-24-2007, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perth

Sorry to drag this up from the dead, but Case and I were talking about something else which prompted me to go looking up this thread.

LJ, you were right. I suppose I don't actively encourage a belief in Santa, fairies of various sorts, and anthropomorphic animals, I don't exactly discourage it either. Why? Because it's almost as much fun for me as it is for the boy.

but more because it's more fun for them this way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjim

but there IS a good reason. it's FUN to believe in Santa. Dont tell me you didnt enjoy christmas eve more than anything you could imagine.
think of it. You're 6, and you're wearing your footy pajamas. there's a fire. The pine from the tree and the smell from the fire combine to create a smell that you will forever associate with christmas, and joy, and comfort. you've been stringing popcorn, and drinking hot chocolate while watching the 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' old school cartoon (you kow the one; with burl Ives as frosty) Mom has a batch of cookies going to leave out for Santa, and you suddenly remember the reindeer, and dash to the fridge to get a carrot for Rudolph. While the cookies bake, you all pile onto the couch and Mom or Dad reads "T'was the Night Before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

damn, i got chiils!

It's all built up around Santa coming, and Magic, and anticipation! AS a kid, this is the biggest night of the whole year. and a year is a long damn time when you're 6.

or you can just tell your kids that exchanging gifts is a tradition, and no, you can't open any of them until December 25th. now get your soggy little ass off my carpet with those shoes. "Honey! Dinner's ready!"

lookout123 · 07-08-2004, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juju

Intentionaly deceiving children without a good reason is horribly wrong. When kids eventually find out their parents have been perpetuating a fantasy and fucking with their heads, I think some measure of respect and trust in the parents is lost.
.

i know! i think i was on my 3rd therapist when i found out all of my life's problems could be attributed to my parents allowing me to believe in santa as a young child.

Ibby · 06-24-2007, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juju

Intentionaly deceiving children without a good reason is horribly wrong. When kids eventually find out their parents have been perpetuating a fantasy and fucking with their heads, I think some measure of respect and trust in the parents is lost.

But of course it depends on the degree to which the truth was covered up. If kids know the truth and participate in the fantasy anyway, then there's no harm in that.

Now I know that this post is ancient, but... finding out that youve outwitted your parents and proven them wrong, that youve figured out conclusively that they WERE lying to you, rocks. You feel so... vindicated.

Or maybe I was just a devil-child.

perth · 06-24-2007, 09:31 PM

One nice thing about The Cellar is being able to go back and laugh hysterically at stuff you said years ago.

I've reread a lot of the things I said during the 'baby is coming/baby is here' time-frame. If I could go back in time and tell my then-self one thing, it would be this:

"You don't know. You can't know. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, but know damn well that all your planning is nothing but a rough draft. It doesn't matter that you know nothing about being a dad, it matters that you care to know. Your child's personality will dictate your parenting style, not vice-versa.

Also: burp cloths are not a 'nice thing to have'. They're a necessity."

skysidhe · 06-24-2007, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perth

One nice thing about The Cellar is being able to go back and laugh hysterically at stuff you said years ago.

hahah I was wondering why ONE thread captured the attention of so many 'old timers' I was feeling happy for LJ.

haha ..oh boy

07-06-2004, 10:24 PM	#2
zippyt LONG LIVE KING ZIPPY! per Feetz Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arkansas Posts: 7,661	Well belive what you want , i KNOW santa is real !!! One winter our pipes froze , all i wanted for xmas was for those damn pipes to un freeze , they did on xmas morning . The tooth fairy can be fun , i had a friend that had a bad wreck looseing most of his teeth , the nurses retrived them for his mom and as he laid in a hospitol bed only semi concus they put his teeth under his pillow and the tooth fairy came and left him some loot , money and activity books . It made his day !!! __________________ "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. " Brother Dave Gardner

07-06-2004, 11:56 PM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	A friend of mine has decided that the Tooth Fairy has more than enough business to attend to, and has arranged that a FOTF (Friend of the Tooth Fairy) attends personally to her children. The "Mousies" come to visit whenever a tooth is lost. The tooth is carefully placed in a porcelain box purchased for each child on the occasion of the first tooth loss. Along with the tooth and a note to the mousies a cookie is placed next to the box. This is to teach the children that it is as important to give as to receive. The Mousies write a reply to the letter, as well as leaving a gift (not always cash) in exchange for the cookie and the tooth. Both sets of grandparents are on board with respect to the Mousies in the event that tooth loss occurs during an overnight visit. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

07-06-2004, 05:31 PM	#1
perth Strong Silent Type Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,949	When I was 5 I think, after losing a tooth I told my mom I didn't believe in the tooth fairy. Her reply, I don't exactly remember, but it was something implying that if I didn't believe then maybe she wouldn't be able to visit. I went to bed that night confident in my belief that my mother would be in shortly to deposit a gift under my pillow. I awoke at about 2 AM and was horrified to discover the tooth still there. I ran crying to my mother's room, professing my very deep and hearfelt belief in the Tooth Fairy. She calmed me and explained that the Tooth Fairy was probably running late but that I was most assuredly on the list. She tucked me back in, sang me a song and left the room. I closed my eyes and did my best to fall asleep. About five minutes later I heard the door open and after a moment felt a hand slip under my pillow. I could also vaguely smell my mother's perfume, but I kept my eyes closed the whole time in what I'm sure was a poor impression of being asleep. After the door closed, I tucked my hand under the pillow and found the "Tooth Fairy" had left not only a quarter, but a sticker book with stickers. That night I learned a couple important lessons. First of all, I knew for a fact that the Tooth Fairy didn't exist. Second of all, I gained a slightly better understanding of just how much my mother loved me. Shortly after Jamey was born, I remembered this incident, and learned a harsher lesson. The falsehoods we are taught as children are often more important than the truths. Fantasy is part of growing up, and there is no easy way of letting that go. And so you really shouldn't. I think the best you can do is allow children to have that fantasy. Without tearing it away from them, show them the truth while at the same time reaffirming the idea that fantasy is and important and a precious part of being a child. I've mentioned it before in the Santa Claus thread somewhere, but my plan is to make sure Jamey gets the experience of Santa Claus and the like. But I intend to treat it as a fun game of pretend to enhance the true experiences. Edit: I might have the age wrong, all I really remember is that I wasn't in school (may have been summer break) and that the Transformers were hugely popular.

07-07-2004, 12:33 AM	#4
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	Intentionaly deceiving children without a good reason is horribly wrong. When kids eventually find out their parents have been perpetuating a fantasy and fucking with their heads, I think some measure of respect and trust in the parents is lost. But of course it depends on the degree to which the truth was covered up. If kids know the truth and participate in the fantasy anyway, then there's no harm in that.

06-24-2007, 09:31 PM	#10
perth Strong Silent Type Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,949	One nice thing about The Cellar is being able to go back and laugh hysterically at stuff you said years ago. I've reread a lot of the things I said during the 'baby is coming/baby is here' time-frame. If I could go back in time and tell my then-self one thing, it would be this: "You don't know. You can't know. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, but know damn well that all your planning is nothing but a rough draft. It doesn't matter that you know nothing about being a dad, it matters that you care to know. Your child's personality will dictate your parenting style, not vice-versa. Also: burp cloths are not a 'nice thing to have'. They're a necessity."

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