So the cutest, funniest and sadest thing happened today. Emily came home from school with a project to make a Leprechaun trap for St Patricks day. Her teacher wanted her to first brainstorm ideas of ways to attract the leprechaun, a way to catch him and then construct the trap. Well, if you know Emily she is very literal :)
She sat down and got right to work. She had brillant ideas of how to attract him with a rainbow and pot of gold. How to use a flashlight in the box to make the rainbow light up, how to make a trap door on the box so it can but pulled closed with a string when the leprechaun entered the box. She was so excited that she could hardly contain herself!
Well, there was just one more detail needing to be addressed in her mind......what do we do with the Leprechaun when we catch him. I was holding back my giggle as I said well Em, this is just a fun project to help you learn to be creative, leprechauns aren't really real, they are just a fun thing to pretend on St Patricks day.
OOPS!!!! That was not what I was supposed to say I guess!!!!
Her excitement and enthusism quickly changed as she teared up and said, "leprechauns are real, my teacher told me about them! And if they weren't real then why would I be making a trap for them?"
I continue by telling her the truth. I said, "hunny, they are not real, your teacher is just pretending because she wants you to have fun and be silly." That didn't help!!
She said, "well that is NOT FUN. That is dumb. Why should I spend time making a trap if I am not going to really catch a leprechauns?"
I said, "did you really think you were gonna catch one?"
She said, "yes!! I really did." She was so disappointed and really started to cry.
I said, "Em, what is really bugging you about all of this?" She said, "I just want Leprechauns to be real so I can catch one." :)
I really tried not to laugh :) And man, is it crazy to think about the influence people have on our children. Even for things as simple as meaningless holidays!
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