• CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    32
    ·
    7 days ago

    I’d always put the money in an envelope with my kids names written to be all magical and fancy looking but didn’t try especially hard to disguise my handwriting. When my daughter was probably eight she just casually informed me how much she had noticed the tooth fairy’s handwriting looked just like mine 🤔 she’s smart, it both let me know she knew what was up but was still low key enough the gravy train kept coming for the rest of her teeth lol

  • moakley@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    7 days ago

    Last Christmas my daughter kept getting closer to figuring things out until one night she cryptically said, “I can’t wait until I’m an adult so I can learn about grown up secrets.”

    “What kind of secrets are those?”

    “You know, like if Santa wasn’t real or something.”

    “Well if Santa wasn’t real, then we’d definitely want to keep that secret from kids like your little brother, so we’d never ever talk about it.”

    “Oh yeah.”

    Then she never mentioned it again.

    It may have been our fault for doing way too many holiday activities. She must have met four or five different Santas that year.

  • BigBenis@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    ·
    7 days ago

    I did this as a kid as well, though I never confronted my parents about it. I just quietly died a little inside as the whimsical magic of my childhood was eclipsed by the cold truth of our reality.

    • Agent641@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      6 days ago

      I think I was born with a grifters gene, because once I learned the tooth fairy gives money, I told my parents that a tooth fell out at school, and I lost it, but will the tooth fairy still come? And sure enough she did. I got money for no lost tooth.

      Only worked once though. My parents got suspicious when I lost a tooth every day after that.

    • Kaligalis@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      6 days ago

      The cold truth being that humans in general are a really bad source for facts. They lie to protect. They lie to save face. They lie because they don’t like the truth. And they accidentally lie because they don’t know better. No one can be trusted in this world. You have to fact-check everything. And we didn’t even have the internet back then.

  • Robust Mirror@aussie.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    6 days ago

    Jokes on them, I occasionally forgot when my kid told me and just had to say I guess the tooth fairy was extra busy. Once I forgot 2 nights in a row. So this wouldn’t have been conclusive data.

  • Aniki@feddit.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 days ago

    i’d argue that the actual problem is that parents lied about the tooth fairy to their kids. how can kids trust their parents if parents just make stuff up occasionally? the world is full enough of wonder, no need to make stuff up.

    • Robust Mirror@aussie.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      6 days ago

      Social reasons. It’s easier to just do it than have a 5 year old not understand why they’re the only one that misses out, or explain the whole thing and expect a 5 year old to keep it secret from their friends, pissing off all the other parents when they tell them, all to avoid doing something that’s just a bit of fun anyway and isn’t likely to destroy your kids trust in you for life by itself.

  • Jayjader@jlai.lu
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    ·
    7 days ago

    “sorry to disappoint you, Timmy, but the tooth fairy only comes once she knows the parents are aware their child is about to get some money/a visit”

    I’m very surprised there are parents telling their kids about the tooth fairy that can’t recover the story when confronted by their kid with such evidence.

    • moakley@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      7 days ago

      It’s not really about the evidence. Once they figure it out you can get them to play along a little longer, but they know.

    • Kaligalis@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 days ago

      The problem with doubling down as a habit is that the child’s brain will mature more and eventually notice the lie. And then you did actual habitual betraying gaslighting instead of just the usual fairy tales to calm a child. Admit and acknowledge the child’s mental development.
      Parents start with having the full trust of their children. And there is quite the leeway before puberty hits. But trust once lost might never be fully regained. There is a real risk of creating serious trust issues.

  • lemonhead2@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    7 days ago

    u got off lucky. daughter found the Santa wrapping paper one year. lined everything up and did a full presentation for us.

  • Kaligalis@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    6 days ago

    Grats to the kid. It developed the ability for critical thinking early. Time to admit the lie and stop using fairy tales as a tool.
    The next developmental step might make giving money for teeth a really cursed incentive btw. So disconnecting the reward from the loss of teeth is probably a good idea. Just increase the weekly allowance accordingly to not make it look like discoveries are punished.

  • MacroMoray@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    7 days ago

    Honestly, I would be so proud of my kid if they brought this to me, and unless I was prepared for this eventuality, I’d probably admit they’re right and paraise their critical thinking. If I was prepared, I’d start poking holes in their theory and show that they have evidence the tooth fairy isn’t real, not proof, so more experimentation is required

    • Butterbee (She/Her)@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      7 days ago

      At 9yo I would just leave it at being proud of them and their methods. I’d reward it. If they are questioning it on their own they are ready for that magic to be gone.

      • MacroMoray@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        7 days ago

        Oh, I wouldn’t fail to reward them for their critical thinking, that’s a great thing for them to be doing. I just don’t want them to think their first idea is the only possible one. I guess I should have added the condition to my decision of how to act about it that if they seemed into be into continuing with the scientific process, I’d leave them to keep testing and figuring things out, but if they’re done with it, which, let’s be honest, most kids probably would be, I’d give and let them have their win.