Leprechauns Don't Visit Us

Yesterday Claire was telling us all about Leprechauns: they are as big as your thumb, did ya know? I was told that about 45 times. Also, if you don't put your toys away, they will play with them at night and if you don't do your dishes, they will do them (sounds like a good deal to me!) they make food for you and leave coins around you house. Her friend Hailey got a few coins and she gave one to Claire. Claire seemed a little sad that the Leprechaun didn't seem to come to our house. Really? we need to do another thing that involves tricking our kids into believing in something that isn't real? I have no problem if parents want to do this but I really have a hard time doing it, myself. Call me lazy, call me cynical, call me anything you want, and maybe you're right.. but I still hate it.. how about just enjoying the day without having to be sneaky about it? I hate the whole Santa thing, I don't tell Claire he's real but I don't tell her he isn't real either, I think she'll figure it out on her own. and if she asks me, I will give her an honest answer. It just stresses me out to think someday I may have to tell her it's all fake.. She knows the real meaning, and that is what am most concerned about. I know I'll have the same problem with the Easter Bunny. It annoys me to keep up this pretend thing. But the Leprechaun? no. we are just not doing that. Maybe if we were Irish, but we aren't. She was talking about her friends and how the leprechaun visited her. Matt then blatantly says out loud, "You know, Hailey is probably Irish, that is why the Leprechaun visits her. he doesn't visit you, you're Dutch." way to be graceful about it Matt! So I try to intervene with..."but you get to celebrate St Nicolas day, and other kids probably don't get to celebrate that!" She was a bit upset by this..but then she decided that she still believes in the Leprechaun afterall and I'm happy to say we didn't damage her too much after this conversation...that's the great thing about kids.. they are going to believe what they want to believe no matter what you tell them. If they want to believe, they will.