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RE: My Favorite Thing About Being A Parent - #Parentchallenge [Challenge #1 Entry]
My favorite part of being a parent is doing my best to not deceive them about life. I don't lie to my children. It drives my spouse crazy too, but I don't like about the Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, or anything else. I want my children to trust me, and know that what I tell them is the truth.
If they grow up with me telling them absurd things, they will grow up to accept absurd things from others. That sounds like such a harsh thing to do, but I want my children to be fully aware of the world. I want them to prosper and make wise decisions too!
Trust is vital, especially with our children. If we want them to be trustworthy, we must trust them and vise versa. I agree that guiding them with truth is important, but equally important is harnessing the imagination. I don't profess the imaginary to be real, but I also do not tell them that people are lying about it. It's tricky.
Kids are smart. They're capable of understanding complex things, so I try to explain them. It is always followed by question after question, but that is how they develop critical thinking. I won't tell them not to believe in Santa, but I try my best to show them the difference between reality and make-believe. It is creepy when you think about a fat, white guy breaking and entering, but there is no harm in a good story. Unless you believe the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary..("believe that, I'll tell you another.." lol my grandfather always said that).
Cartoons are a great way to show them the differences between real and imaginary. My parents tried to keep the Santa thing going, but my brother and I were able to decipher the truth without them. When I asked my mother about Santa, she told me the truth. However, it wasn't until I asked that she finally gave up the charade. I wasn't angry at her, I thought it was funny. I knew she didn't want to ruin it for my younger brother. (So I did..lol).
I'm on the fence here because I don't like being forced what to think and being forced to think one way or another - by your parents or the government - sucks. If society forces us to believe one thing and our parents force us to believe another - where is the freedom of thought in that? It seems no matter what we think, there will always be opposing thinkers waiting to sway us in their direction. It's a tough one! Any doctors of psychology in da house? 😆