We do Santa, elves, fairies, unicorns, leprechauns, easter bunny, and everything else that could be considered magical. I encourage all of my girls to believe in Magic. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn’t real. Sometimes I get push back from other parents on this topic. I often hear things like "Why are you lying to your children?" or "You should encourage your kids to live in real world not in a fantasyland." That is exactly why we encourage magical thinking in this house. The real the world is really harsh, hard, and unforgiving and I want to keep my kids out of that for as long as I can. I want to show them as much as magic for as long as I can. I want them to know that it is ok to believe in things you can't see and have hope.
My oldest is nine years old and in third grade. Everyday she is told by one of her classmates that Santa is not real. However, despite the bombardment of this information she is standing firm in what she believes. Every time another friend tells her, she comes home and says "Those people are so crazy that they think Santa isn't real." Instead of the outside pressures making her doubt her own beliefs she becomes more resolute in them. I am hoping that this confidence is something that she can carry with her through her whole life. There are so many outside forces that will want to squash her dreams and bring her into depressing realities. That confidence in hope that she is building now is going to serve her well as she gets older and the world tries to knock her on her butt.
My girls love pretending to be everything. Doctors, police officers. dancers, singers, etc if you name it my kids most likely have played it. Usually their imagination is sparked after something we've seen or read in a book. Lately we have been watching a lot of Christmas movies. Tis the Season. We watched a movie recently called "A Boy Called Christmas." It is a retelling of the Santa Story. Ever since the movie stopped my two year old has been playing Santa. She takes a leftover stocking, fills it with toys, and gives everyone in the family a toy. Since she is a toddler she has repeated this activity about a million times. Every day she toddles over with her sack of goodies and cheerfully says "Ho, Ho, Ho." I usually giggle, take my toy with a smile, and patiently wait until another visit from the tiniest Santa. I could stop my girls and tell them these are unrealistic goals. I could tell them that an astronaut cowgirl is not a real profession. However, I chose to encourage their magical pretend play and participate in all their dreams with them.
My six year old has always had her head in the clouds and I hope she keeps it there. She believes in everything magical and she makes our world magical as a result of it. When she asks us if unicorns are real I always answer with "I don't know. I've never seen one but that doesn't mean it isn't real." This lovely lady's magical glasses make our whole house magical too. She sees magic in every person that she encounters on a daily basis. Sometimes we are just sitting on the couch and she exclaims "Daddy you are the strongest guy in the world." or "Mommy you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Occasionally these compliments come with strings attached and she is wanting something from us. However, most often these outbursts are due to her magical outlook. I hope her magical eyes never dim and that is able to see all the beauty this world has to offer. Her beautiful hopeful perspective brings light and joy to everyone she meets and makes this world a better place
I love that my house is filled with wonder. I love that my girls don't have to see things to believe in them. I love that our family encourages all kinds of imagination. There are so many things that happen in this world that are unexplainable. There are so many things in our lives that are serendipitous. There are so many experiences that we have that seem supernatural. Trying to find a logical explanation for everything would be a daunting tasks. I like to believe in magic and I'm encouraging my girls to do the same. Seeing the beauty and the magical things that happen to us on a daily basis makes my world a much better place. Enjoy all the magical things that happen this Holiday Season and Merry Christmas.
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