Things they will believe

The tooth fairy was a bit remiss in our house on one occasion and had to write a letter, sprinkled with glittering fairy dust, explaining that she had run out of change and would be back the following night with a double payment. At least that was better than standing on the landing munching the reindeer's carrots, drinking Santa's sherry and eating his mince pie at four o'clock in the morning.

What an astute child, G23.

Tooth Fairy made her (or his) first visit to DGS on Friday. On Saturday morning he presented his mum with the big shiny coin which had replaced his tooth under his pillow and demanded to be taken to the dentist to buy a new tooth.

'Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive'

My Dad used to tell us about the mountain sheep with two legs shorter than the others as well ronald !!

What about the tooth fairy, surely most of us have been involved with that deception

My Dad always told me two things which I believed because he would point them out to me (supposedly)
First there was the Treacle Mines at Trellech (in Monmouthshire)
And second was that welsh mountain sheep had two legs shorter than the others so they could stand on the hillside without toppling over
I never really thought about it until he told the same to my lad
made me chuckle

I think most of them twig earlier than they let on. I remember being gently told that Santa was a myth. "Oh I know," said I, "but I thought that if I said so I would not get any presents"....

As our own got a bit older we slid in a variation that Mummy and Daddy (and others) bought the presents, but Santa delivered them. This explained a few glimpses of mysterious purchases and some overheard conversations with grandparents finding out what would be acceptable.

I think several of mine have reached or are about to reach the age when they won't swallow the Santa myth. It's quite sad when that happens, I think.

It wasn't quite a question of telling lies, but my daughter – usually a bright and very perceptive girl – was nearly seventeen years old before she realised how the coins got into the Christmas pudding (and why she always got the £1). And that was only because I wasn't bothering to disguise what I was doing while I served it. I am afraid that all fourteen guests collapsed with laughter when she said with wide-eyed innocence, "Oh, is that how you do it Mum?"

We don't see them at Christmas, Annobel, except via skype so the question never arises but, as very savvy eight and a half year olds, I think they have twigged to Father Christmas.

Our middle daughter used to get upset if she saw an odd number of magpies on the way to school until I convinced her that seeing a heron cancelled the bad luck that incurred. Luckily, ALWAYS saw a heron a bit further along the road. If we saw two, it was even better!!

I told my twin 4 year old grandchildren that I had eyes in the back of my head so I could always see what they were doing and had ears on a bit of string so I could always hear what they were plotting!

Not even about Father Christmas, snailspeak?

I am far from a saint but I have never knowingly lied to my twin grandsons - not even little white lies. I much prefer to explain things to them, preferably for a long as possible in the hope that they will keep quiet for even a couple of minutes. I never avoid awkward questions but tailor my answers to their age group and explain some more if they are interested.

Grandson was with us whlst Mum was in hospital.
After lunch I asked if he would like a little piece of cake for pudding.
'Yes please Grandma'
I placed the whole freshly made chocolate cake in front of him.
His eyes got so very wide and he looked at me, then and Grandad and shook his head and began to look quite worried. 'Its too big Grandma'.
Bless him hes only nearly 3, I wonder how old he would have to be before he just tucked straight in.

Yogagran - if only the luggage did go on the plane - you may be closer to the truth than you think!

lucid hee hee

I told my grandson that when you become a grandparent you also develop eyes in the side of your head!

I've told my GC that I have eyes in the back of my head and that if they misbehave in the car I can see them. (Watching them through the mirror). One of my favourites though is when driving up a hill (and if there is no traffic behind you) slow down a little, tell the GC that their help is required and get them all to lean forward and, hey presto, the car starts moving faster. They think they are so clever. Middle GD believed that she could turn traffic lights green just by willing them to do so....although they always seemed to go red for her sister!
My lovely Grandad didn't want us going near the cellar door and convinced me that he had a dangerous dog in the cellar. He would cautiously open the door and call out 'get back, go on, get back' - I was terrified this dog would leap out. Every time my Gran opened the cellar door the dog behaved and she never had to shout at it...although I would still tremble until the door was closed!
Best part of childhood believing the strange things grown ups tell you.

When you check in your luggage at the airport, it doesn't go on the plane with you but goes all the way to your destination on the conveyor belt

another Father Christmas one;
when my youngest DD was about 6ish and becoming sceptical about Father Christmas she asked "if he comes down the chimney with the presents how does he get back up again?" I said" he stands on our rug (which was round at the time) and says"
"beam me up Rudolph".
the look on her face was priceless!!

My GD was told that when the red light blinked on the room sensor that meant that Father Christmas was checking to see if she was being good.

Nice one, em - don't think it would wash with my (almost) 4 year-old Buzz-fanatic. He is a born sceptic!

My DS2 (then aged about 3) thought up his own explanation for thunder. Stomping into our bedroom in the middle of a thunderstorm, he indignantly announced: 'Man with big drum waked me up.'

My latest whopper came about last week! GS (2 1/2) was eating lunch with his Buzz Lightyear fork when he started to 'muck about'. I picked up the fork as if answering a phone and had a conversation with Buzz - assuring him that Robbie wasn't really being silly and would finish his lunch nicely 'for Buzz'. It worked a treat and he has even accepted that Buzz can only speak to adults so I have been relaying messages between the two of them!

we always told our children, and now our grandchildren that the robin seen in the garden was helping Santa , it was the robin's job to check up on the children and make sure they were begin good so that he would know on christmas eve which boys and girls had been good and only the good ones had presents off Santa

When I was little my mum and dad used to tell me that thunder was the fairies moving their furniture! I kept up the pretence for their sake!

My GF told me that thunder was caused by the clouds banging together - I passed that onto my daughter who believed that well into her teens when a boyfriend put her right. I love the story about the ice cream van - that when it's driving with it's tune playing it means he has run out of ice cream!! I told my children (my g/children still too young) that a circle of toadstools meant that fairies had been dancing in the garden and where their toes touched the ground up popped a toadstool. Nothing wrong in telling little stories like Santa, tooth fairy etc to little children all part of childhood. My GF used to tell us whoppers and we loved him for it as it was so much fun when we realised he'd tricked us yet again.