I can’t believe my youngest is now six. Okay, six really isn’t that old in the whole cycle of life I suppose. Looking a baby photos makes the age of six seems old(er). Wasn’t it just yesterday when she was learning to crawl? Didn’t we just spend a morning reading stories while her siblings were at school? Now she is halfway through grade one. Getting to a moment seems like an eternity, until you reach it and then it is gone in a flash.
My daughter isn’t that baby anymore. Along with loosing baby fat, baby talk and baby teeth there will be the loss of innocence. I don’t mean that kind of innocence. I mean the child-like wonder that all kids have that eventually seems to erode away as they are exposed to the outside world more and more.
Although I’m excited to see all my children grow, establishing their own identity and discovering a changing world around them, there are a few truths I’d rather they never learn. Here are 3 truths I trying to hide from my children:
- Mom and dad are actually the Tooth Fairy – The Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, all those mythical characters that kids believe in and make the holidays delightful. Although she’ll never admit it to me, I’m sure my oldest has discovered this truth. I’m not sure if she’s hiding the truth to ensure she benefits from the rewards still or if she’s avoiding the role of being my dream dasher. I would like to think it’s the later. I dread the disbelief in Santa Clause and not wanting to write letters to him anymore. So many of our fun holiday traditions rely on these beliefs and I’m not ready to give up on those yet.
- Mom and dad don’t actually know everything – I know, another misconception. And yes, it is hard to live up to. But there’s a great feeling of sharing and helping and molding and just being a parent when your child asks you about everything. And yes, being asked the same question over and over again can become frustrating and trying to answer a question when you don’t know the answer (or when there isn’t an answer) can be difficult. But one day my kids will start asking their teachers and friends and strangers about things and stop asking me. Another step towards independence that I’m not ready for.
- The outside world isn’t like kindergarten – My kids love school. They love their friends and learning new things. School to them is what the outside world is like, full of fun and games and learning new things. But I know there will come a time, many actually, when things won’t be all happy games and laughing friends. I dread the tears that will come when a best friend doesn’t want to be a best friend anymore or when someone does something mean and hurtful just because they can. No parent wants to see their child sad or crushed, no matter how much it’s apart of growing up.
These are just 3 truths that have been swirling around in my head lately. I’m sure if given time I could think of more. It’s too bad these truths have to be part of growing up. And some might say that learning these is just a way of developing independance and personal identity, a step toward adulthood. But if you ask me, wouldn’t we as adults have more fun in life if we still wrote letters to Santa or didn’t have to deal with hurtful individuals. Heck, maybe if we didn’t have to learn these truths there would be less hurtful people in the world to deal with. Well, it’s a nice dream.
Are there any truths you wish your children didn’t have to learn?