Today may have been the worst parenting day ever. My youngest who is nine went to the attic to look for a box of Yu Gi Oh cards. Mind you, the attic is a walk up and essentially the third floor of the house. I am in my office in the basement and I am working. Luckily today my decided to also use my office to work, so we are together. We hear him coming down the stairs...two flights, in sort of a rush. He peaks his head into my office, slams an empty box on the floor and yells, amongst his tears: "LIARS!"
The empty box he was stomping on was not an empty Yu Gi Oh box, but the empty Elf On The Shelf box . And some hysteria ensued. His comforting, magical world of youth suddenly came crashing down. He ran upstairs to comfort himself since he wanted nothing to do with either of us liars. My wife and I then begin to have the discussion on how to handle this and the big three: Santa, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. My oldest is eleven, and just so happened to have lost a tooth yesterday. I asked her if she remembered to slip a dollar under the pillow. Her response: "...he knows the tooth fairy doesn't come any more...". Just as she finishes the last syllable, in my office he comes (FYI, he was listening all along) and proclaims: "you put money under my pillow so I would believe!?!?!"
Bingo. Two for one today. Great job mom and dad.
He then started to tell us how sensitive he is and that he is heartbroken. He didn't known the half of it. We tried to console and confirm that it was our job to help him believe, to help him keep the magic of the Elf real, to help him feel Christmas and everything about--it is all real in his heart.
No dice. Strike three, four and five. Getting no-hit by a number five starter.
He began to question everything again. Easter bunny--"I bet you do that too...". "No wonder the leprechaun doesn't come to our house (some of our friends get a visit at st. Patricks day, until now it was because we are Italian), he's not real either!" "Why do you lie to me! We hate lying! I am sensitive!"
Benched.
In between our tears, our laughter, and the collective sighs he picks himself up and says, "well, can I put the elf in my room?" of course you can. Hey maybe our little talk about the spirit of things actually sunk in. "I can hold the elf because it's not really magic...". Okay, great..."can I have some ice cream?" You betcha! (do you want your car now too?)
Stepping back up to the plate to start a rally.
"mom, dad, do (my aunts, uncles and cousins) know there is no elf on the shelf?" Yes Dan. "you mean they are in on the scam too!?!?!?"
Swing, and a miss.
It has been a strange trip today with this. I even posted on Facebook to see the discussion I could start. Lots of great comments and support, and more importantly, other stories of the day that the magic, well let's say, started to disappear. It's good to know that we are not alone. I must say the consensus has been that the episode was harder on the parents than the kids. I also got warning signs of those who then milk the system...I actually hope that happens.
All in all, parents are very resilient, but not as resilient as our kids. The funny thing is, 20 years from now I will remember this day as clear as it happened. I will probably have to remind my son what happened and how it all went down.
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I think we have all been there....
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