The Tooth Fairy Doesn't Exists!

“The Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist”, he exclaimed in a tone that was both mocking and shocked all at once. After all he is only five years old and our new toothless friend is already six.

There we were in the cookie isle at Target. We had just met new friends. They could have been potential play-dates. But now I was sure that the mommy wanted to kill me.

I tugged at my son’s arm, opened my eyes wide and smiled. He stared back up at me with a puzzled look on his face as if saying, “What did I do?” I looked over at the Mom and turned my head sideways hoping that the expression of my face was understood. I was so sorry and so embarrassed.

Fortunately her son did not get it. The panic shared by his mother and I went completely over his head and he probably thought that my son was delusional. Now the feeling was mutual.

This interaction was all my fault. I decided long before my son was born that I didn’t want to perpetuate the deception story of Santa Clause. I know! I know! I’m a horrible person. Blah, Blah, Blah. But how could I lie to my son about Santa Clause for years and then expect him to believe that God is real. I just imagined the look of betrayal on his face the day he would find out that I had been lying all of this time. How could he ever trust me again.

I can’t tell you how many people tried to convince me that all kids who believe in Santa Clause turn out all right. They don’t hate their parents and think they are liars. I was raised in Cuba and Santa does not fly over Cuba’s restricted air space.

I kept saying that I guess I would have to reevaluate the decision and cross that bridge when we get to it. Once he was born I figured I had a couple of years more to decide and so I put it off.

Then at 3 years old I was preempted by a concerned mother in law and my son came home from grandma’s house with his first ever letter for Santa.

The deception had begun. It was too late to turn back now. I just couldn’t be the one to tell him the truth now. I have gone along with this now for three years. One of the main reasons that I go along is the fear of an exchange like the one that took place at Target. I have nieces and nephews to worry about and I can’t have my son be “that kid”. The kid that bursts everyone’s bubble. I don’t want preschool mommies calling me each week complaining that my son made their child cry. So we make a list, put out the cookies and we hide the toys.

It still upsets me to think that an imaginary jolly man with a white beard and red suit takes all the credit for the sacrifices mommy and daddy make to buy the toys that bring joy to our little boy’s life. But in the meantime, I can always make him behave by threatening him with the lump of coal and that works like a charm.

But mommies everywhere are warned. The Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny are still fair game.