I don't like this about my job

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

I don't like this about my job

nitasmile · Senior Member

It will work out because you are dealing w/this. Good luck, report back! Can you/ will you send letters to the parents about this, just as an FYI to them or is this too minor for that type of action?

Our local postoffice is having this thing where you can drop off letters to Santa and the post office will send it to Santa to get a reply! Kids put their letters in these beautifully decorated mail box to Santa--

If it would help, we at Bountiful could make a "collective" letter to your class and send it from this post office...ie something like, "Yes, Mr. Roper's Class there is a Santa. But there is also lots of good in all the different religious/cultural traditions. Then say something about the Jewish faith and something about the different holiday traditions. We could put several fun examples, etc. ..ie English people sometimes drink a raw egg on Jan 1 for strength for the coming year"

Then we could have the real Santa at the post office add his comments to that letter...mail it to your class and see how it goes!

OK, I know that sounds crazy! But it was just an idea! Better yet there are those cities that one can send a letter and get it stamped from the "North Pole", etc. Not sure where it is but in the US there is some city called North Pole.

anyway, best wishes w/this

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

I always help parents with the Tooth Fairy.

I have little boxes or a little wood tooth that has a chamber for the tooth or teeth I am pulling.

One time while working on the parents, the kids were playing and lost the teeth.

I have a pack of tic-tac's on hand and I put a tic tac inside the box or wood tooth chamber and tell them, "You know the tooth fairy is almost blind, he'll never know the difference and when he smells it, he'll think you were eating mints when your tooth came out... go ahead and put this under your pillow."

It works every time.

Glad I don't have to deal with Santa at work.

nitasmile · Senior Member

Mahonri wrote:

I always help parents with the Tooth Fairy.

I have little boxes or a little wood tooth that has a chamber for the tooth or teeth I am pulling.

One time while working on the parents, the kids were playing and lost the teeth.

I have a pack of tic-tac's on hand and I put a tic tac inside the box or wood tooth chamber and tell them, "You know the tooth fairy is almost blind, he'll never know the difference and when he smells it, he'll think you were eating mints when your tooth came out... go ahead and put this under your pillow."

It works every time.

Glad I don't have to deal with Santa at work.

Mahonri- I thought the Tooth Fairy had a special Santa Helper Elf to help check that kids properly floss their teeth?

Have you seen Tim Allen's Santa Claus movies?? Those are the best as they have a special council w/all the special "creature characters" such as Mother Nature, the Easter Bunny, Santa, Jack Frost, and the Tooth Fairy. I love watching these people interact and work together and have their special council meetings!

Last week I made up a rendition of "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth." I was working w/a lady who is in lots of pain in her hip (bone on bone in walking) and was getting ready to have a hip replaced when something happened that brought her to our place, so her scheduled surgery had to be postponed for various reasons. One day last week she told me she told her ortho she would even take an opening and have her surgery on Christmas Day if that was the only opening! So when she said that, I sang her a terrible -sounding song that I made up titled, "All I Want for Christmas Is My Hip Replaced". It goes like this, "All I want for Christmas is My Hip Replaced, My hip replaced, my hip replaced. All I want for Christmas is my hip replaced...So that I can be---eee Out of Pain!" Luckily she at least pretended to like the song, laughed and luckily got that Christmas wish this week!!

-- Edited by nitasmile at 22:29, 2007-12-13

Poncho29 · Senior Bucketkeeper

That's a tough situation Roper. I'm sure that little girl didn't "intend" to squash the other little kids fantasies. Kids call it as they see it, (or as their parents have taught them to see it).

I think it's a good idea for you to have a class discussion about it. Did you say anything privately to this particular little girl?

I still remember one time in primary where Santa came to visit all the kids and me being "older and wiser" knew who the man was who was playing Santa. And I said to him (loud enough for the other kids to hear) "Hello Brother so and so." I knew this because my parents had said that this man had a side job of playing Santa Clause at all sorts of different functions. I don't remember exactly how old I was, but it never occurred to me that I might be ruining it for the other kids. I wasn't trying to be mean and nasty. In my mind, I was thinking "everyone knew this."

Immediately one of the primary teachers pulled me out of the room and raked me over the coals for it. I felt horrible, truly horrible. I didn't realize what the impact of what I had said could create.
I still remember vividly that incident and how badly I felt or how the primary worker made me feel afterward.

As far as having to deal with irate parents. I would give them the same lecture you might give to the kids in your class. Every child is entitled to believe what he or she wants to believe, but another child doesn't have the right to ruin for everyone else.

alabamabelle · Senior Member

Perhaps the press release was accidental and meant no harm. then again, it may have been spite. there's almost always an accidental 'information release' this time of year.

some families DO teach their children that Santa is part of the Christmas fun while others eschew Santa as a bold lie that they must eliminate. (IMHO, the kids who don't get to play any fantasy, ie., no Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc. seem somehow sad and left out)

Either way, I believe you are right on target with the 'Traditions' discussion. Learning to respect the differences in each other is always apropos.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I would be tempted to discuss the human tendency to use one's intellect to oppress people. Discuss the deeper motivations that come from playschool kids who flaunt 'forbidden knowledge' as a way to gain some kind of acceptance among their peers.

The tendency to need to be right, trumping the tendency to need to be a friend--or respect your neighbor...

--Ray

alabamabelle · Senior Member

oooh rayb. . . that was deep. and sadly true.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

You could use the Polar Express approach... some hear it, some don't.

My kindergartner was coloring in the Christmas coloring contest book (and no, I don't foresee her winning anything) Anyway, and there's a picture of Santa with his sleigh and reindeer flying over a cute little snowy neighborhood on the cover of the color book. She was looking at it one time and said simply, "Deer? Flying? My mind tells me that's not right." I was like

What do I do now?

She already is that logical????

Anyway, she still seems to be into Santa in general and knows there will be presents and finding the notes that "our" elf Pumpernickel leaves on the tree for her...

Janey · Senior Member

Good luck with the discussion. I hope it goes well. A friend told me about Santa when we were in 2nd grade, but it wasn't at school.

My niece's classmate in 3rd grade was present for the birth of his sibling. The next day at school, he explained exactly how babies come into the world: "My mom pooped a baby out of her bum!" His classmates' parents weren't exactly thrilled about that one either.

zealia · Profuse Pontificator

A sad day when a child is told there is no Santa before his or her time. I loved the magic of believing in Santa when I was little though letting go of tha belief was hard for me. The sweetness is worth how hard it was to give up!

nitasmile · Senior Member

these santa cookies look good! I received the recipe in today's mail, on the back of one of those advertiser cards that at least sends you a free recipe: So maybe you want to try this:

http://www.carolinacountry.com/cookinpages/foodcategories/desserts/othersweets/santacookies.html/santacookies.html

The kids that like Santa might not want to eat them though-- somehow eating them seems mean. And the kids that don't like Santa might want to eat these in spite:

-- Edited by nitasmile at 22:25, 2007-12-14