Kate Says Stuff is all about life with four fabulous children and a Supertrucker husband. Kate writes of family life, recipes and household organisation along with regular product reviews and giveaways. She is also a founding blogger at Autism: In Our Own Words sharing the trials and tribulations of having two children on the autism spectrum.
I lie to my children
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I lie to my children.
Blatant, bold faced lies. Not just little white ones, but great big (jelly bellied full bearded) lies.
We believe in Santa. Tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny as well.
Since my eldest was little I’ve read many arguments against lying to children in this way. People who truly believe it is damaging to the relationship between parent and child to take part in such a deception. I respect those people and their right to that opinion. But it does NOT make me happy when their child belittles mine and tries to ‘set him straight’ – and yes that has happened.
I believed in Santa until I was 12 years old. Seriously. Maybe because I am the oldest of four, and that magic was always around me growing up. Maybe because I loved the fantasy so much that I was loathe to let it go. For whatever reason, I clung to that belief fiercely and even when I ‘knew’ it took a long time to let go completely.
I don’t recall ever feeling angry or upset with my parents for their deception, just a vague sadness that comes with moving on from childhood.
Each year come December the excitement starts building at our place. My 9 year old is on the cusp of moving on from Santa Claus, but I hope he will help us keep the magic alive for his younger siblings. The thing is, I do not care if some of that magic is centred around a character created to boost sales for a soft drink company, because the true magic comes from within. Even now I get butterflies in my tummy at the joy and anticipation of spending time with family and celebrating our many blessings. Santa plays a large part of that magic, but he is not the entirety of it.
And every year around mid December we make a little sign for our window ‘I believe’. The Miracle on 34th Street has a lot to answer for I will admit, but for whatever lies are told there is a part of me that does still believe there is magic to be found, regardless of what form that magic takes.
Are you a liar too?
