Mythical Figures Explained

As a parent, we often have to tap into our creative talents. When you have children, you don't get an instructional manual or a how-to guide. Luckily for the Carr Family, Daddy is a writer and Mommy is an elementary school teacher. When it comes to explaining various mythical figures, we've had to pool our resources and, at times, think on our feet to get around some sticky questions. Everyone has their own "beliefs" about what to tell their children about Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny and so forth. Some people feel it isn't right to "lie" to their children about these figures. For the most part, they tend to respect the desire of other parents to keep that "mystique" alive and keep their mouths shut when they are around other people's kids. I can't say as much about their kids though. As a teacher of 2nd and 3rd graders, the age when they begin to question the real existence of these figures, I see children almost taking delight in debunking and spoiling these childhood myths. And then there's the poor kids who want so badly to believe but are made to feel like babies by their peers because they still believe in Santa or the Tooth Fairy.

I remember a story that Kevin has told about his childhood and believing in Santa. He has a sister, Kelly, who is older by two years. He was getting toward the middle/end of elementary school and had yet to mention to his parents that he no longer believed in Santa Claus. (They were a little bit worried about his relationship with reality at this point.) So, they sent Kelly to find out what the deal was. He admitted that he no longer believed that Santa was real but he wasn't going to mention it because he was afraid he'd stop getting presents.

Luckily, we haven't gotten to the age of questioning with our boys, but we have had to deal with the issue of, "How does Santa get into our house when we don't have a fireplace?" Got that one covered. A few years ago, I was a Longaberger Basket Consultant. They also make pottery, wrought iron and pewter items. One of the items they make is called the Pewter Santa Key. It comes with a story of how Santa can use
the key to get into houses on Christmas Eve that don't have chimneys for him to climb down. Well, not having a fireplace, that was an issue we were sure to face, so I purchased a Santa Key. It looks like an old-fashioned skeleton key, but has a head of Santa carved into the top of the key. We hang it on the tree with the rest of the ornaments, then on Christmas Eve, we hang the key on the outside of the front door knob. Santa will arrive, use his magic and open our door with the key. After he has left all of the presents, eaten the cookies and drank the milk, he leaves the key on the empty plate (which is also a Longaberger plate/cup set) and we put it back on the tree for the rest of the season.

Another mythical figure that needs explaining at some point in every child's life is The Tooth Fairy. There are a few different aspects to this tale that need addressing. Here's why we've come up with.

• What does The Tooth Fairy do with all those teeth she collects?

The Tooth Fairy collects teeth from children all over the world and puts them in the new babies about to be born. That's why you have to take such good care of your teeth, by brushing twice a day and going to the dentist. They need to be in good condition for the babies. (Thanks to Bethany for this one!)

• What happens if you swallow or lose a tooth that has come out?

The Tooth Fairy knows that things like this happen, so she has a solution. Find a pebble about the size of the lost tooth. Write a note to The Tooth Fairy explaining what happened. Put the pebble and the note under your pillow. The Tooth Fairy will use her magic to turn the pebble into a tooth.
(I came up with this one on my own after Liam cried hysterically that he wasn't going to get any money from the Tooth Fairy because he had thought he'd swallowed his tooth.)

• I saw Mom/Dad getting my tooth. Are they really The Tooth Fairy?

I once came across a children's book that was a fantastic explanation for this. There was once a child who woke up and saw the Tooth Fairy. He got scared and started crying because the Tooth Fairy was a stranger to him. The Tooth Fairy was very sad that she had made the child cry. So, from then on, whenever
she goes into a child's room, she uses her magic to make her appearance look like that of someone the child knows and loves. If they wake up while the Tooth Fairy is there, they won't be scared. That's why the Tooth Fairy may look like your Mom or Dad or Grandparents or baby sitter or big brother or sister.
Every parent needs to have this book!
(Thank you to "The Real Tooth Fairy" by Marilyn Kaye.)