6 Year Old DS Asked Me If I Was The Tooth Fairy

[happymomma]

So a couple of nights ago when I was putting DS to bed, we were talking. He said that he had a question and wanted to know something. He then asked me if I was the tooth fairy. I was surprised. I thought that I was pretty good at making sure he didn't find out. It was his first tooth. We had put it in the ziploc under his pillow. I was able to do it when he was asleep. He said that it didn't make sense for a small tooth fairy to be able to take the ziploc with her. I had taken the whole ziploc (too heavy) and left the money. I know last year he was asking about Santa. I could tell that he was sort of questioning it. I lied and told him I wasn't the tooth fairy.

So now I'm confused if I should have just fessed up or not. I didn't want to lie to him but I also want him to have the mystique of the tooth fairy and Santa Claus. Plus if he knew and then told his friends, I'm sure other parents will be mad at me.

So how would you have handled the situation??

[infomama]

BT with my 6yo Dd and I told her that the Tooth Fairy was real (Santa, too).

[citymama]

Smart kid with that whole ziploc analysis! I think you did the right thing with the way you responded (maybe next time, no ziploc!). I love that my parents never broke my illusions about Santa or the TF, and kept it going pretty much endlessly!

[jenmcadams]

My DD is the youngest kiddo in her class and fully knows the truth about the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. She figured it all out in K (age 5). It kind of bummed me out, but my DH was one of those kids who was frustrated when he found out and felt lied to. He probably would have skipped all three of them, but agreed to do it as long as we were always truthful in answering when she asked. We did do some turn-around questions when she was 4 (e.g. What do you think?), but those didn't work for long. She's extremely good about keeping the secret though and would never tell anyone else. She's happy she knows and likes participating in the process for her brother/friends.

So, if it had been my kiddo and I'd been asked point blank, I would have told her...but I totally understand the desire to keep the magic alive too...

[lalasmama]

I told Lala the whole time that Santa isn't real, he's just a nice game of pretend that we do. (We are a pretty conservative Christian family, so we tend to focus on Jesus's birth instead of the jolly fat man). She knows that Papa George is the "Easter Bunny" that hides eggs in the yard. She knows that in both instances, the people at the mall are people in costumes so that other kids will believe in the characters.

She believes in Santa anyways (ugh).

I allowed the tooth fairy because we don't do a lot of fantasy/magic stuff. Yes, I feel bad that I am lying to her about it, and yes, I lied when she asked me if I was the tooth fairy--especially when she saw glitter just like the "tooth fairy dust" in a bottle on my desk.

She knows that she's not allowed to tell other kids what I have told her about the Easter Bunny and Santa, as she knows its important that some kids believe in such things, and that its not our place to make them "not believe".

[hez]

When DS asked me if the Tooth Fairy was real a couple weeks ago, I told him to examine the evidence: He put his tooth under his pillow. The next morning $ was there instead. I asked him if he thought money would be there if there was no Tooth Fairy.

That worked... for now...

[momof2girls]

When DD asked me about the various characters like Santa, the tooth fairy, even Disney princesses, I ask her what she thinks. She said she thinks the princesses are just people in dress up so I agreed. She seems to think the tooth fairy is real as she said she hasn't felt me put anything under her pillow so maybe it was the tooth fairy. However, now that she is older (7) and asks, I am planning on just telling her. I don't want her to think I'm a liar. (She's called me out on several minor fibs in the past). I also don't want any of the kids in school (grade 1) or even worse, the bus (up to ages 10 on there) to mock her if she so strongly believed in Santa or the EB as they are all maturing so fast.

On the other hand, I would like to keep the magic of childhood alive as long as she lets me by not asking too many questions just yet.

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

We treat Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc all as a fun game of pretend, wink, wink. We don't say it's not real but we do it all in a fun manner, so I think it's obvious to my 5 year old that they aren't really real.

If asked point blank, I do a wide-eyed, "what do you mean?" So of course, he knows, but it's a game.

[TwinFoxes]

When the time comes, I don't think I'll outright lie if they ask me if I'm the tooth fairy.


When DS asked me if the Tooth Fairy was real a couple weeks ago, I told him to examine the evidence: He put his tooth under his pillow. The next morning $ was there instead. I asked him if he thought money would be there if there was no Tooth Fairy.


I might do something like this, or do the "what do you think". But I wouldn't feel comfortable saying no if I were asked point blank.

When I was a kid and told my mom and dad I didn't believe in Santa any more, my dad got annoyed and tried to convince me there was a Santa. Once the jig's up, I think it's up. You can unwind the clock.

[wellyes]

It's so funny how kids minds work. Why would the tooth fairy not be able to carry ziplocs but would be able to carry money around?

[egoldber]

I always say "what do you think?" Usually based on their response, you can get a sense of if they already know but yet still want to believe or if they are still fully into the fantasy or if they know and are done with the fantasy.

Some kids do NOT like the fantasy. They are just too pragmatic. My older DD has a friend like this. He knew at 5 that none of the fantasies were real because he was just done with them and the fantasy actually upset him. He, of course, told DD (sigh), but yet she still continued and continues to believe.

We are done with the Easter Bunny, who was never a big presence anyway for us, and I expect that the Tooth Fairy and Santa are close behind. Once one goes, they all tend to go pretty fast....

[JTsMom]

I like the "What do you think?" approach too. I wouldn't be comfortable lying if asked point blank, and I think for a lot of kids, there is some overlap between the time they start to figure out that something's not making sense, and the time the really want to know the truth.

I love all of the fantasy stuff, and I hope it continues for a while.