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Don't let your children read this

Why do we lie to our children? Where did that tradition come from? While I'm all for encouraging the magic of Christmas, isn't there enough in the giving and receiving of gifts? The sparkle in a child's eye on Christmas morning (the one that melts a parent's heart and makes all the preparations worthwhile) is part to do with the lack of sleep, the lights and baubles on the tree, and the excitement of the presents to unwrap. Would it really lose much, or anything, if the old man in the red suit were removed from the proceedings? I believe in stories, make believe and fairy tales, but don't try to tell my children that Snow White or Rumplestiltskin are true!

And where did the Easter Bunny spring from? We had Easter Eggs from our parents and friends, and even the occasional family egg hunt, but were never told that any of it came from the Easter Bunny, when I was a child. And as for the tooth fairy...




I am hook, line and sinker sunk in the pretence of the tooth fairy, as youngest still believes and has a very wobbly tooth. Much gratitude flows from her to the inventor of croissants, pain au chocolat and ice cream as any food firmer in texture causes the tooth to hurt. She has a worry though : does the tooth fairy visit France? She's usually pretty forgetful in our neck of the English woods, at the best of times. Lets hope she has a good map, doesn't get lost (fairy sat-nav??) and hasn't drunk too much of the local vin. And I suppose the fairy exchange rate is probably as awful as the human one. But at least, having wings she doesn't need to fork out for any petrol!

Or is there a French tooth fairy already on the look out for that little package left under the pillow.

And will she remind me? ...

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