lying to your children?

Question

how do you feel about telling your children about the tooth fairy,santa, easterbunny etc. Knowing at somepoint they will know its all lies?

btw...i raised my son with all these things,just wondered what people thought about this issue

Answer 1

I don't consider it lying so it wouldn't bother me. It's just make-believe or pretend which is important for building a child's imagination. If they ask to know the truth than I would tell them, but otherwise why not have some fun while they're still young enough to enjoy it.
Christmas never was as exciting after finding out Santa wasn't the one leaving the packages under the tree.

Answer 2

Not really lies.....the parents are basically Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easterbunny.....its just that somewhere in time, someone put these things into people, animals, to make it more interesting. The whole "lying" thing is just putting these things into people, animals, other than your parents.

Answer 3

Well i have 3 sons, and there ages are 14, 12, 12. and my 14 year old stopped believing in Santa when he was 10. My first twin stopped believing when he was 10. And so did the other twin. But my youngest one was really upset when he found out santa wasnt real. But my middle child could have cared less.

Answer 4

I have two children and have never lied to them about Santa, the tooth fairy, etc. I just feel that it is wrong to lie to them, we try to teach them every day to tell the truth. So why would it be ok for us, as parents, to lie to them? I don't think it makes childhood better, how would it, it's just a lie.

Answer 5

Well when you read them stories about fairys and imps you don't sit down at give them a disclaimer about it being a falsity every time either. Part of the joy of being a child is believing in magic :)

Besides, every time a mom or dad puts a coin under the pillow or a present under the tree, they are making magic real. There is a Santa and there is a Tooth Fairy and they are called Mom and Dad in their other jobs.

Answer 6

Well, I don't have any bad side effects from believing in Santa, etc...just love for Christmas, etc. I think it's a sign of growing up when you do realize its "lies." Really it just helps children learn to enjoy holidays. Is that twisted?

Answer 7

I think it is part of the magic of being a child. Once you stop believeing in all those things and growing up the holidays and all are never the same they lose excitement. My parents let me believe till I stopped and I am not negatively affected by the "lies".

Answer 8

The fairy tales are all part what makes childhood "magical". I have 4 children - two who are too old to believe in the magical fairy tales and two who still believe. My older children were not harmed by being told the "lies" and even help to keep the magic alive with their younger siblings.
Childhood is believing anything is possible, adulthood is for reality!

Answer 9

While you're at it, you might also include religious dogma. At least your children will realize at some point there's no tooth fairy, et al. The threat of eternal torture bites deep into a child's psyche, but nobody ever wants to dispute this ongoing brainwash, and your question makes a timely point about lying to children. I guess it's okay to lie to children as long as everybody else buys into the same brand of b.s. More's the pity.

Answer 10

Part of being a child is the "magic" of all the things you mentioned. I was a believer as a child and it made life wonderous. I was not affected by the lies and didn't hold a grudge against my parents. That's just me. I told my daughter the same things, I never felt guilty because I knew how exciting those things were. :)