Santa Claus

Santa never came to our house - not even Hanukkah Harry did.  Presents came from parents, whether you had been good or bad.

I do remember, though, my son asking me if the Tooth Fairy was real.  I hesitated.  "Do you want the truth?" I asked.  "Yes," he insisted.  "The Tooth Fairy is mommies and daddies," I told him.

He was not happy with this answer, and I was not happy giving it to him, but I felt strongly, and still do, that when you are asked a direct question you have an obligation to answer truthfully, even (especially) with a child.

For the record, I had never actually told him there WAS a tooth fairy.  I put money under his pillow, of course, but did not say where it came from.  He learned about the tooth fairy from friends at school.  I was willing to play along.  My own parents had simply handed me money when I lost a tooth; they did not want to feed into any superstitious nonsense.  I was pretty upset by this.  I knew perfectly well that there was no tooth fairy, but geez, couldn't they let me have the fun of putting my tooth under the pillow like everyone else?

I wish I could ask for his opinion in retrospect, but my son has no memory of this conversation, or of ever believing in the Tooth Fairy (or Santa Claus).