by is there help out there 13 Replies latest jw friends
I think its healthy for children to believe in the tooth fairy as well as all the other mythological creatures - yes its a lie but they have to believe the small lies so that they can believe the larger ones later in life like justice, mercy, democracy, those sorts of things.
(*inspired in part by Terry Pratchett).
No references to the pagan tooth fairy in our house. As a kid I had a difficult time relating to other children when they talked about mythological creatures like the tooth fairy and Santa. At least I had been told there was something called Santa and that he didn't exist; the tooth fairy had never been mentioned at all.
So, of course, never put teeth under the people. As I grew up I got to learn about this fascinating folktale as if reading a new book. A short book, but one that I found fascinating.
I like the idea of letting kids have "magic" in their lives, and maybe myths like the tooth fairy and Santa are a way to do that - but I've also seen some pretty ticked off youngsters when they learn the truth, and it's just sad when older kids still insist Santa exists. I mean, taken to the extreme, we had a friend in High School who still thought you could get pregnant from a toilet seat, for heaven's sake.
So, on the whole, I'd rathe inspire awe and mystery in a child at the sight of a mountain lake rather than having them buy into a myth like the tooth fairy, which really seems more for the parents' benefit than the children's.
Interesting. My mom did the 'tooth fairy' thing. But - it had started prior to her becoming a JW - so I think that she felt it was okay to continue the 'tradition' - so to speak.
I remember getting a whopping quarter under our pillow at night - if we left the tooth - in a light brown small envelope. (It always had to be put in that envelope. I think my mom was afraid the tooth would get lost otherwise - or it would be too dificult to snatch the tooth from under the pillow of a sleeping child if it was just loose.)
Anyway... I learned later on that there wasn't really a tooth fairy. My mom had kept all of the baby teeth of us kiddos in an old metal container.
I also think that playing the tooth fairy thing was just as much for my mom as it was for us kiddos.
Regards,
Jim TX
no we wernt allowed to celebrate the tooth fairy
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