L
ast night my 10 year old daughter came home barreling through the front door overly excited to show me that she had lost a molar tooth. I barely got the words out, “How was your weekend with your mom?” when I was quickly holding and admiring my daughter’s greatest loss. “You owe me big time! This one fell out by itself when I was eating a burger for lunch.” Being somewhat pleased myself that this tooth would cost me less in Truth Fairy fee vs. being pulled at the dentist, I nodded and handed the tooth as she tore down the hallway to retrieve the special “tooth box” from her bathroom cupboard.
She hummed, started her homework at the kitchen table as I returned to my office to continuing working myself. Shower, PJs, and teeth brushing later, I was kneeling by her bed to pray. Afterward I got the following lecture: “Ok dad, I made it easier. The tooth box is here on the shelf by the clock. It’s definitely worth at least a $20 since it fell out by itself. You can do the exchange without having to mess with my pillow before you go to bed. Don’t forget now. Ok dad? I really love you.”
This is how our family celebrates the “Truth Fairy.” Now what you are about to read may ruffle some feathers and generate some interesting comments, but we don’t lie to our kids about the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus. We keep the traditions but layout the truth from the beginning. Why?
1. What purpose is served by lying to your kids’ seriously?
2. How can you in one breath tell your kids the truth about Jesus and yet lie to them about an imaginary Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus?
3. Why would you give focus and excitement to an imaginary thing when you are the hard working loving parents who bring gifts/money to your kids?
4. How can you foster truth and integrity with your kids and yet lie to them about other things?
Now before all the hate mail comes, we still celebrate ALL of these such traditions throughout the year. However, we give credit where credit is due and maintain the secret for others. i.e. We teach our kids not to spoil any “beliefs” for other children. Our kids love and anticipate our traditions just as much as anyone’s and have loads of fun. One of the side benefits to this approach is it allows us the flexibility to move “celebrations” to different days something needed if you’re a blended family!
But that is a “Truth Fairy” topic for another day! How do you do the tooth fairy?
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