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.)

The Toothless Wonder

I'm going to start calling Liam "The Toothless Wonder" after yesterday.

Those who know my oldest son know that he has always been big for his age. (I see many high school and college football games in my future.) Most people who meet him think that he is older than he is. As I soon found out, there are many areas where he is "ahead" of his age.

The winter that Liam was 4, I noticed that his top two front teeth were loose after he was playing with his Aunt Kelly one day and he fell. I thought he had knocked them loose, so we took a trip to the dentist. After x-rays and an exam, Dr. Toothman (yes, that's his real name) declared that they were ready to come out. There was no damage, the roots had dissolved as they should and it would be fine if they came out. Of course, he said, they probably would not come in until he was 6, but that was okay. He lost his first tooth in December. (The typical age to start losing teeth is 6.) Nothing typical about my kid; he has to be ahead of the pack. Lost tooth #2 followed less than a week later.

Of course, there was a little drama in the act of losing said teeth. The first one came out while playing in the backyard with his cousin Libby. The tooth was lost in the grass. So, Mommy told him the story of how the Tooth Fairy understands that sometimes these things happen and she has a plan for this. The child needs to find a pebble roughly the size the lost tooth. He puts the pebble with a note explaining what happened under his pillow. The Tooth Fairy comes and uses her magic to turn the pebble into a tooth. (Which is quite necessary because she uses all the lost teeth that she collects to give to the new babies being born.) The second lost tooth also happened while playing with a cousin, although this time it was Brianna. He thought he had swallowed this one. Later, I found it on the dining room floor.

Well, we go all through the summer and fall with a big gap where his two front teeth should be. We heard countless verses of "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" that winter. Then, our now 5-year-old announces that his bottom front two teeth are loose. They come out in January/February with no incident. So we now have a HUGE hole that you could stick your thumb through. He looks like a casualty of Pee Wee Hockey!! Next, he tries telling me that another one of his bottom front teeth is loose!! I tried to wiggle it, and there seemed to be some movement, but I was sure that it was a long way from being loose enough to come out. I should learn to NEVER underestimate this child.

I got home from work yesterday and he was waiting at the door to proudly display his latest lost tooth in its little plastic baggie. It's been less than two months since he first told me about that loose tooth!!! I said, "You have got to be kidding me!" and he said, "Nope Mommy, it just came out and now I'll get more quarters from the Tooth Fairy tonight." Keep in mind that one of the joys of having a child who loses his teeth before going to school, is not having your Tooth Fairy have a "standard" to live up to. He was more than happy with the quarter he received for his first and second teeth and even the two he received for the third and fourth. But now that he's a Kindergartner and the other kids in his class are starting to get visits from the Tooth Fairy, it's a little harder for that to fly. So this morning, Liam woke up to 4 quarters under his pillow. I guess if gas prices can rise, so can the reward from the Tooth Fairy. But you'll never see a $5 bill coming from the Carr Family Tooth Fairy! But through it all, what is one of his favorite foods? Corn on the cob!! You should see how well his kid with no front teeth can clean that thing!!! I told him that he isn't allowed to lose any more teeth until the 5 that are already gone have been completely replaced.

To learn more about traditions and explanations used by the Carr Family--including the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus, see the post titled "Mythical Figures Explained."