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Couple says they ‘refuse to light gas’ their daughter, nine, to believe in Santa and the tooth fairy – say kids will suffer ‘psychological trauma’ if they discover the truth
- Mathew Boudreaux, 46, and husband Aurelian, 44, have already been honest with their nine-year-old about Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny
- The couple told their daughter Helena the truth when she was ‘two or three’
- Mathew said he couldn’t bring himself to ‘traumatize’ her later by lying
- The craftsman who lives in Washington state said telling kids Santa is real is akin to “global gaslighting,” and he thinks more parents should be honest
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A couple has revealed how they’ve been honest with their nine-year-old daughter about the existence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny since she was a toddler — and believe parents should stop “gaslighting” their kids with seasonal stories.
Craftsman Mathew Boudreaux, 46, and his music teacher husband, Aurelian, 44, of Washington state, insist they “take no magic away” and say “honesty is the best policy” when it comes to raising their daughter Helena , nine .
The parents say they “refused to lie” to her and have been honest since she was “two or three” and that they still participate in festive traditions – saying they “don’t take any magic away” but don’t want to lie to her. daughter.
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Craftsman Mathew Boudreaux, 46, (right) and his music teacher husband, Aurelian, 44, (left) refuse to subject their daughter to “psychological trauma” by lying to her about Santa Claus. Although she loves to sit on Santa’s lap, she knows he’s not real
Helena, nine, (pictured) from Washington State, USA, was told by her two fathers when she was two or three that typical childhood pleasures like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny weren’t real
Matthew and Aurelian say they’ve asked their daughter to play “make-believe” and pretend Santa is real, even though they’ve told her he doesn’t exist.
The couple said the family “does not want to participate in global gaslighting” which causes children to question their own reality and decide early on that they would “never cheat on” their little girl.
Matthew thinks lying to children about Santa Claus amounts to “psychological trauma.”
The fathers hope to raise their daughter “humbly and gratefully,” so don’t spoil her on Christmas Day – instead, give her a handful of presents and celebrate being together as a family.
When it comes to the tooth fairy, Mathew still puts $1 under Helena’s pillow, but his daughter has known since she was a toddler that he is responsible for showing up there.
Mathew said, “Parents don’t have to tell their kids that Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy is real. Why should I participate in this large-scale global gaslighting?’
“Before adopting our child, we researched parenting and thought about the possible psychological impact that lying could have.
“We decided we would never cheat on her. Parents don’t have to tell their kids that this is real.
“It has normalized gang lying and cheating. It doesn’t have to be part of society.”
She still celebrates Christmas by opening Christmas, but her fathers were afraid to ‘gaslight’ their daughter by joining the worldwide tradition
Mathew said, “There is a moral in lying and not lying. We live in a world where no one can tell the difference between real and fake’
The father-of-one said their daughter didn’t know if Santa was real or not when she was little.
But when she was three years old, their daughter started asking questions about Santa Claus.
They explained that he wasn’t real and the stories behind the traditions, but they could continue to ‘pretend’ if they wanted to.
Mathew added: “It wasn’t a conversation, she started asking questions and became aware of him.
“She asked who he was and right now most parents say he’s real. We’ve decided not to.
The family still decorates the family home to celebrate the Christian festival. Gifts also play a part in the day, but Helena has known since she was a small child that Santa didn’t deliver them on his sleigh
The couple say they still partake in the magic and their house is decorated with homemade decorations and they “make cookies, exchange presents, get up super early and spend quality time together as a family.”
“There is a moral in lying and not lying. We live in a world where no one can tell the difference between real and fake.
“Honesty is the most important part of parenting and the truth is the way to go.”