Just One Of The Things I’ve Told My Children

I know I am going to take some heat for this one, even after all these years.

I became a single parent when my two eldest children were about three and four years old. I quickly realized that I was outnumbered when it came to keeping a tidy house while working excessive hours to provide. That’s my best explanation (excuse) for what I came up with to get them to pick up their toys.

I told them that Santa’s helpers got the toys for Christmas from the kids who didn’t pick up their toys before they went to bed at night. that was why toys would disappear; the elves would come in and take any toy left on the floor.

My kids freaked out, started bawling.

When I finally got them to speak, they told me that they didn’t want to be taken. They told me that sometimes they fell out of bed in the middle of the night, and they didn’t want to be taken by the elves.

Yep, I still have guilt about that one.