The tooth fairy had a little problem last night. She couldn't find the tooth and was left with the dilemma of leaving a note asking for the tooth tomorrow night or just simply leaving the money without taking the tooth. Now I think there is a reason that the tooth was "missing" as a certain 10 year old is challenging the simple magical characters that have always been in her life.

She knows in her heart that the tooth fairy is not real (I think she just pretends now for her little sisters sake and for the £1 coin) and she has openly laughed about the validity of the Easter Bunny but as we get closer to Christmas, do I need to finally give in and accept she may no longer believe in Father Christmas? Most psychologists will suggest that children need to know they can trust their parents to tell them the truth, even about things like this. In other words, when your kids ask if Father Christmas, the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny are real, you should tell them the truth.

That's obviously easier said than done.

What age should you tell them the truth?

This really depends on the parents, and to a very large extent, the child. 

Last year she asked me if Father Christmas was real as one of her classmates had said it was his mum (they were 9 years old). It was one of those moments where I held my breath for a minute. I had hoped and wished this day would never come. But it did. And so with it brought another phase of parenting. It’s that phase where my baby girl is no longer a baby, she is no longer naïve and I have to accept that a part of her childhood innocence is a thing of the past.

If I am honest, I may have dodged the question last year but I know that I have to face it as much as she is going to. I don't want her to be ridiculed at school and whilst the age of every child is different, the truth about her childhood magic will be as much as loss to me as her. 

How to deal with their new knowledge?

Encourage your child to help younger siblings, cousins, and other children keep believing in the tooth fairy and Father Christmas. This can be an great way to build nurturing skills in your own child, and help them feel more grown up. By having her join us in teaching her younger sister about these magical creatures, can hopefully help make the transition into a world where magic can still exist but in a more realistic context.

Let's be honest, everyone needs a little magic in their lives don't they?

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