The first time our kiddo said, “You know Santa isn’t real, right?” she was 3 or 4 and was offering her father a reality check when he was trying to convince her that Santa flew around the whole world in just one night.
The next childhood myth that got busted was the Tooth Fairy.
When she lost her first tooth, we tried the hiding it under the pillow thing. But when she woke up the following morning and found money instead of a tooth, she promptly hunted down her father, held out the money to him and said, “Take it back, I want my tooth instead.”
She knew that any money magically showing up to replace her tooth wasn’t the Tooth Fairy but her parents doing it. She’d grilled us the day before about the finer points about Tooth Fairy logistics and had spent the day squinting suspiciously at all our wild conjecture about Tooth Fairies coming to trade teeth for money.
In the end, the thing that cinched the deal, was that the kiddo felt strongly that a fallen tooth was a part of her and she didn’t wish to lose it and gain money. She wanted to keep the part of herself instead.
Clearly, we’re doing something right.
The reason this is on my mind right now is that last night I spent a good two hours coaching her through a stubborn tooth that needed to fall out but was holding on like the Dickens.
I sat with her as she freaked out, mostly about the blood, and she wiggled and jiggled it with various means, determined to get it out before going to bed.
I didn’t push her, offered options and held space for her when it got scary. She stepped up and kept at it, trying my more and more outlandish suggestions, until that sucker finally fell out (it was me convincing her to try making the third fish face that finally dislodged it).
She showed such courage and persistence, that today we went out and tried to find a stuffy she’s had her heart set on for a while now. We didn’t find the pink fox in question, but got a teal dragon instead in XL size and it went down a treat.
One reason why she doesn’t buy into the Tooth Fairy, might also be that one of her favourite shows of all time is Teen Titans Go!. And the Tooth Fairy in TTG is truly creepy. I’m talking shivers down my spine any time she shows up.
I am not a monster. I do what any normal person would do with teeth. I eat them, Ta-ta-ra-ta-ta!
— Tooth Fairy to the Teen Titans Go!
In the TTG universe, she’s a villain and the only one creepier than her is the Easter Bunny. And when they get together, it’s just too horrible to even contemplate!
Nonetheless, at our house, it’s not a weekend until you hear…
🎶
T-E-E-N
T-I-T-A-N-S
Teen Titans, let’s GO!
Teen, Teen, T-T-T-T-T-Teen
T-T-T-Teen Titans GO!
🎶
And even if TTG has busted a lot of childhood myths for her, it’s also taught her a lot of lifeskillz.
The other day, we were driving home and after seeing a roller blader we started discussing roller skates vs roller blades because she wants to get skates this summer.
She was trying to understand the difference, and I told her that roller blades have all wheels in a single row, while skates have them two-by-two, like a car.
She said that roller skates and ice skates are then similar, to which I corrected her that actually the “skates” part is misleading because the roller blades are the ones that resemble ice skates more, and explained the “blade” part of the name.
She learned to ice skate this past winter, so the ice skates are familiar to her now.
She thought about it for a moment and then decided, “So that’s like irony then. Just like in Teen Titans [Go!].”
There’s an episode where Robin teaches the rest of the Titans about the different kinds of irony, and we’ve watched it many, many times.
So, thanks TTG for being one of the best reboots ever.
The interesting thing about TTG’s approach to childhood myths.
Childhood myths or legendary figures are humorously reinterpreted in the show.
As the Teen Titans encounter characters like the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and even mythical creatures like unicorns, their portrayals often deviate from traditional depictions.
These interpretations may involve quirky personalities, unexpected behaviours, or comical mishaps, adding a playful and comedic spin to the familiar childhood myths.
The show’s approach to childhood myths reflects its overall comedic and self-aware style, which embraces absurdity and embraces a more light-hearted tone.
It presents childhood myths as sources of comedic potential and takes joy in subverting or satirising their traditional representations.
I find it specifically interesting how you could see their interpretation of childhood myths as an integral part of becoming a teenager. As you get older and lose interest in the things you once loved, you start seeing those things as stupid and childish.
So, with the twisted childhood myths in TTG, we can only wonder, were they always like that, or was it the loss of your belief in them that changed them via neglect and a loss of faith?
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