Stop Telling your Kids The Easter Bunny is Real

I think we've all heard or asked the question "When should I tell my child that Santa(Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, etc) isn't real?" It might break our baby's heart. It might take away some of the "magic" over the holidays. Well there's a simple solution to this issue that we might all want to get on board with! Stop letting your children believe myths and lies that aren't true.

Stopping the tradition of LYING to your kids is not going to ruin these fun traditions. However, it doesn't make sense to lie to our children for 5-10 years. We are making some bizarre scenarios seem normal at a young age, talk about confusing. Let's break it down by myth.

Valentines Day Cupid

I don't know a lot of people who still wrap a myth into Valentines Day, but I'm sure there are few who say something about a cupid hitting people with arrows. We have enough movies and books to lead us astray about the nature of romance. We should not be sugar coating what love and a committed relationship actually looks like. It sure isn't as easy as being shot in your booty with an arrow and put into some sort of magical love trance.

Easter Bunny

This one is such an outrageous thought... So a bunny with colorful eggs hides them for you to find. Seriously why are you telling your children that the Easter bunny is real? We've made this holiday into something completely different that it originally was. The Easter Bunny was known to come from the pagan festival of Eostre, who was the goddess of Fertility. Rabbits represent fertility and eggs represent new life. Finding colored eggs came from a German Tradition and holiday known as Osterhase. This was a myth about a rabbit who laid colorful eggs. Overtime we began to include treats in this tradition. Easter is also used to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let's just say that telling your child a rabbit can lay eggs is going to be confusing when they enter science class. This can still be a fun game, but for the love of common sense, don't say the Easter Bunny is real.

Santa Claus

So this is everyone's personal favorite, and my biggest pet peeve. Santa Claus is a mythical human being who brings gifts to everyones house while they are sleeping. His transportation of choice is a sled and nine flying reindeer... So we are teaching our children, that it's perfectly okay for this generous stranger to walk up into your house while everyone is asleep and leave some gifts. Yet you tell your kids not to take candy from a stranger... confusing. Next, not everyone is fortunate. Some families can afford the newest game console and 4 games to go with it, others can afford a new bicycle, and others are lucky just to get a meal on the table. If you're telling your children these gifts came from "Santa" won't it look like he picks favorites? This is the biggest myth that you should stop telling your kids. It's creepy, unfair, and confusing.

Tooth Fairy

Alright, so essentially the tooth fairy is a mythical fairy that comes to collect your baby teeth. Place your tooth under your pillow before you go to sleep, and when you wake up there's a quarter and the tooth is gone! The origin of this tradition is pretty legit. A time ago back in Europe you could collect a tooth fee when your child lost their first tooth. I'm interested to know what happened to all those teeth... Nevertheless it wasn't a fairy who took the teeth, it was a government of sorts. Why would a fairy need teeth anyways? Seems a little sinister to me. You can still keep the tradition of a tooth fee alive, but the tooth fairy is the first lie they'll probably catch you in.

Storks

Obviously we don't want to answer the question "where do babies come from" until an appropriate age. Lying isn't the answer to this one! Most people might not use the "stork" idea anymore. Mostly because it doesn't make any sense when a sibling comes along. The lie just isn't full proof enough. Still wether you say they come from storks, or when a "mommy and a daddy love each other", just don't lie. Maybe try something along the lines of "ask me when you're 10". This gives the child a specific time frame, much like watching PG-13 movies. Don't be afraid to bring some awareness of the situation to the child. Abuse happens easily to the naive, so keep them educated.

So here's the overall take away. Eventually your children will realize that you've been lying to them their whole lives, and that can hurt. These myths can put them in harms way because it normalizes strangers coming into our homes, giving us treats, and bizarre scenarios. Your children have been conditioned to appreciate some mythical creature instead of what you, as a parent, provide for them. Lastly, these lies and myths can kill the real magic we should be appreciating. Real magic like family, charity, and giving back to the community. Choosing not to lie to your children doesn't mean you can't celebrate a holiday, give gifts, or play fun games. It makes you a responsible parent.

What are your thoughts on these myths we tell our children? What would you suggest we change?