The Innocence of Childhood

Childhood innocence is one of the best things about being a mom. While Easter is a very religious Christian holiday to many adults, to children it is all about the Easter bunny, egg hunts, decorating eggs and candy.

It is a rite of passage in childhood to believe in the magic. To believe that a giant bunny goes around to children's houses delivering Easter baskets filled with toys and candy and hidden eggs placed throughout their house. Children believe in the magic and while some parents might think it is wrong to let children believe, I see no harm in it.

Childhood only lasts a short time. Children stop believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus by middle school. Why not let them enjoy the moment while they are young and innocent?

I took my boys to see the Easter bunny a couple of weeks ago at the mall. My five year old, Devon, had the biggest smile on his face. When he approached the bunny, he turned to me and nodded his head, as if to be saying, "this is the real deal, Mom, check this out, I am with the real Easter bunny!" It was so precious, so adorable, that I wanted to bottle up the moment in time.

Another bonus to believing in the Easter bunny is that (right or wrong); I can get my kids to behave a little more, because the Easter bunny is watching. This works maybe half of the time and is useful, especially if they are not getting along or don't want to do their homework.

Believing in these fictional characters is magical to a child. Just like Disney World, Santa, the Tooth Fairy and so much more. My oldest son, Dylan, age 7, had a miniature carousel when he was a baby. It played music and had movable ponies and it circled like a merry-go-round. He used to stare at it for long periods of time and listen to the music. I took him to the local mall when he was a year old and he saw the real giant merry-go-round. He stared at it, completely in awe of something so big that was so much like the little one he had in his room. It was magical to him, in that moment, and the look of wonder and joy on his little face was beyond words.

Keep the magic alive for your children. Find different ways to create magic. It can be as simple as surprising them with something unexpected or taking them to a place they have never been. Magic is important for childhood, it is that Wow factor.

I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday and was able to share the day with family and friends. Remember, keep the magic alive! And if you have a magical story you want to share, please write me!