"Look, we lie to kids all the time when we don't think they're emotionally ready to handle certain parts of life, like the permanence of death, or how Santa Claus can leave presents at houses that don't have a chimney. Sometimes, telling them the truth is cruel and heartless. (When my 5-year-old asked those questions, I said to him that most people live on this planet for 1,000 years before they go to cloud city in heaven to live forever, and that Santa and his"
"death, or how Santa Claus can leave presents at houses that don't have a chimney. Sometimes, telling them the truth is cruel and heartless. (When my 5-year-old asked those questions, I said to him that most people live on this planet for 1,000 years before they go to cloud city in heaven to live forever, and that Santa and his"
Adults often use benign falsehoods to shield young children from emotionally difficult realities, including death and how gifts appear. Sometimes complete honesty can feel cruel or bewildering to a young child. One parent described inventing fantastical answers to a five-year-old’s questions about death and Santa out of panic. In the nail-biting case, a grandmother’s scary but effective warning stopped the habit. The practical advice is to maintain the harmless ruse for now while remaining ready to answer direct questions honestly and compassionately when the child seeks clarification.
Read at Slate Magazine
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