Any tips for kids who don't believe?

[Rubygoose]

We will be taking our 4th family trip to DLR in August with kids who will be 7 and 4.5. On our past trips the kids have really enjoyed meeting the characters. But DD6(almost 7) is at the age where she is asking a lot of questions about what is real and what is make believe. She told me flat out the other day that Mickey Mouse is a person in a costume. I told her not to tell her brother this because sometimes it's more fun to believe. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do/say during the trip to make sure DD doesn't spoil the magic for her little brother?

 

[Stitch35]

Tell her it's her job to make sure her brother gets to believe as long as possible. It'll help her excitement and keep the magic alive for her brother. I figured it out about her age too. I helped keep my brother believing in everything (including Santa and the Easter bunny) a little too long. He got in a fight over Santa in middle school....

 

[FryingPansWhoKnew]

This is where you get into discussions about the spirit of make-believe. After a discussion with my now 13-year-old about costume characters, I simply respond in disbelief when she tells me something is real. We are in that stage with her where everything we say or do is stupid anyway so it doesn't matter.

When she was younger, we could talk about the spirit of make-believe, the love, kindness, respect, courage...all of those feelings we get from it and how those are real. And how because of that, I can suspend my disbelief and choose to believe because I believe in the meaning behind it. When someone asks me if I believe in Santa Claus, I tell them, "I absolutely do. As long as there are good people in the world." A little deep for a 6-year-old, but someday maybe she'll understand.

 

[tiffjoy]

Reality is so over-rated and boring. When my kids get to that stage (and I stop crying), I'll say, "What's so fun about thinking that way? I've never met Dumbledore, but I still cry every time I read the part of the book where he dies. I still give a little push to the back wall every time I reach into the closet because one never knows when it just might turn into an entranceway to Narnia. And I still can't get rid of my favorite stuffed animals because I'm quite certain that like the Velveteen Bunny, they are real as long as I believe."

I have always loved the Albert Einstein quote "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” It is so true. Skepticism and reality have their place, but not when they take over imagination.

 

[nannyz]

I come from a different perspective on this, because I made a decision before my children were born that I would never lie to them, no matter what. Like I said, it's just me. I knew there would be many times I would have to tell them whether something was real or not and I wanted them to know that I was always telling them the truth.
I told them that Santa was not real but that it was fun to pretend that he was. They knew that Santa was Daddy and they called him Santa Daddy. They had a lot of fun with it.

The Easter Bunny thing was easy because the first time they saw the Easter Bunny in the mall, one of them said, "The Easter Bunny isn't real; no bunny is that big."

As to the Disney characters, I myself have never had a problem believing. I look at Mickey and I don't think about who is inside; I just see Mickey. My kids and grandkids are the same way. If the day comes that one of the young ones asks me if there is someone inside the costume, I will explain it the same way I explained Santa.

I really don't think that learning the truth will ruin the fun for your little one. Imagination is a wonderful thing.

 

[awdsmama]

We will be taking our 4th family trip to DLR in August with kids who will be 7 and 4.5. On our past trips the kids have really enjoyed meeting the characters. But DD6(almost 7) is at the age where she is asking a lot of questions about what is real and what is make believe. She told me flat out the other day that Mickey Mouse is a person in a costume. I told her not to tell her brother this because sometimes it's more fun to believe. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do/say during the trip to make sure DD doesn't spoil the magic for her little brother?

You can not-believe all you want at home but I don't care who you are when you get to Disneyland there IS something magical there and you get caught up in your surroundings and it is all very real

My son, 9, swore up and down before our trip this past March that he didn't care about the characters and was not interested in a character breakfast (because at 9 he for sure DID know they weren't the real deal). HAH. All it took was me showing him the pics from our last trip, about 2 weeks before we were set to leave, and he was allllll about it again. I had to order an autograph book at the last minute for him, make dining reservations for a breakfast etc. I have several pictures of him with the characters this trip and some smiles are even bigger than the first trip when he was 7 (especially with Princess Jasmine...ha.ha.ha!)

I bet your 7yr old will get caught up in the magic once there.

And if not.....threaten no treats if she spills the beans.

 

[alvernon90]

Tell her that she is very smart and perceptive for figuring out that Mickey is just a person in a costume, but the costumed person is just a helper, like the helpers who dress up as Santa at shopping malls. Tell her the real Mickey was busted for DUI and is serving a 60 day house arrest with an ankle bracelet that tracks his movements. This would be very upsetting to her brother, so it's best that the grown-ups just keep it to ourselves.

 

[Greysword]

My answer, he's real to me. If DD asks me and my DW if something at Disney is real, that is how I answer (and so does DW). That isn't a lie, as Mickey, the gang, the Princesses, etc are all real to me. I believe, so that is good enough. DD can make her own decision at that point .

Reality is what we decide it is.

 

[sandysue]

I was talking my daughters out of spending time in the Frozen line and my almost 9 daughter says, "that's too much time to spend to meet someone just in a costume". Her sisters nodded solemnly in agreement. While I wanted to cheer because I really don't want to worry about the A&E line, I just said that it's fun to play dress-up and meet all the characters that will be around the parks. They agreed.

 

[lucysmom]

WHAT?!!! Are you kidding me? Mickey isn't real?!! What about Minnie? She is my favorite.

 

[mmlover74]

My son who is 8 commented a few years ago that Mickey is a person in a costume. I asked him how could he have his own star on the walk of fame if he wasn't real...he didn't have an answer. Even though he knows, he will do pics when I want but he doesn't ask to stand in any line. He does have fun with them at character meals tho.

 

[mummabear]

Tell her it's her job to make sure her brother gets to believe as long as possible. It'll help her excitement and keep the magic alive for her brother. I figured it out about her age too. I helped keep my brother believing in everything (including Santa and the Easter bunny) a little too long. He got in a fight over Santa in middle school....

I remember asking my big brother about Santa and he fessed up but said I couldn't tell mom and dad because if they knew that I didn't believe then we wouldn't get Santa presents any longer, so I kept up the game until my parents sat me down to break it to me prior to starting middle school...

 

[TIME4DIZ]

Do some kids think Mickey is real? Doesn't each Disney park feature the fact that Walt created the character? I always saw so much emphasis on the magic of imagination, I never thought my kids were supposed 'believe' in anything other than the fun we were having as family.

 

[mikana876]

Wish there was a "like" button on here! I totally agree TIME4DIZ, for us it's not about that. When my kids says Santa isn't real, or the Easter Bunny or whatever, I just say "Of course not, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun!" And they smile and play along.

 

[tiffjoy]

Wish there was a "like" button on here! I totally agree TIME4DIZ, for us it's not about that. When my kids says Santa isn't real, or the Easter Bunny or whatever, I just say "Of course not, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun!" And they smile and play along.

Do some kids think Mickey is real? Doesn't each Disney park feature the fact that Walt created the character? I always saw so much emphasis on the magic of imagination, I never thought my kids were supposed 'believe' in anything other than the fun we were having as family.

I come from a different perspective on this, because I made a decision before my children were born that I would never lie to them, no matter what. Like I said, it's just me. I knew there would be many times I would have to tell them whether something was real or not and I wanted them to know that I was always telling them the truth.
I told them that Santa was not real but that it was fun to pretend that he was. They knew that Santa was Daddy and they called him Santa Daddy. They had a lot of fun with it.

I guess I just don't view imagination or believing the characters are real as lying to my kids. It's just pretend and it's fun. I treat Mickey exactly the same way as I did before I had kids- I'm over the moon excited to meet him, I don't think at all about there being a person in there, and I feel like I'm in a magical little world. I had a big imagination as a little girl, to the point where I was absolutely convinced my stuffed animals were really real, and my parents never did the Santa or Easter Bunny thing. They always told me those weren't real. It didn't stop me from pretending.

We don't do gifts from Santa or the Easter Bunny, but we do meet them at the mall if the girls want to (and they always do). I don't go out of my way to tell them they aren't real, though, either. It's just pretend.

I suppose I still like to pretend, especially at Disney as I never got to go there as a child.

 

[Rubygoose]

Do some kids think Mickey is real? Doesn't each Disney park feature the fact that Walt created the character? I always saw so much emphasis on the magic of imagination, I never thought my kids were supposed 'believe' in anything other than the fun we were having as family.

Oops! Last year I explained to the kids that Walt drew pictures of his friend Mickey Mouse and turned him into a movie star. DS loves the "Suitcase and a dream" song from the newsboys and it says "Mr. Disney travelled west.... along the way he met Mickey Mouse..." They definitely say "met" not "created".

I think a 4 year old can (and should) believe that all the characters are the real deal. That's why I don't want the skeptical 7 year old to take away from that magic for him.

 

[sherilaine]

I think there is a fine line between trying to embrace the magic of Mickey vs. not discouraging a child from developing awareness of what is hidden behind the surface in life in general.

My kids pretend Mickey is really Mickey - not someone dressed up as him, just like if they want to a play they would pretend the actor on the stage really is the character they are playing. However, they know that Mickey is an idea, a character that Walt created. They also know there is no fat guy in a red suit in our chimney once a year or bunny hopping around during the spring time delivering eggs - but they are older (12 and 10).

I think actually having the discussion and opening up to the fact that yup, they are right, that is someone in there dressed up as Mickey and getting it over and one with and then discussing the fun and magic that comes with suspending disbelief, is a great idea - then you encourage their development but also teach them how to let go in life and embrace magic when you can.

 

[TIME4DIZ]

If you're set on keeping your 4 yr old believing that Mickey is real and not a costumed person, you will have to explain to your older child how important it is to you that the fantasy be maintained.
Personally, I wouldn't be too worried about it because kids (and adults) love meeting characters even after they stop believing they are real. Having a chance to see Mickey or a Princess and getting a photo or autograph remains special to kids of all ages. Having a chance to go to Disney and meet the characters is magical for so many reasons. Whether or not a child understands the characters are costumes likely won't change a thing for the kid. As a parent, you may be more upset than them- watching our kids grow and mature comes with many of those bittersweet moments.

 

[Albytaps]

Tell her not to ruin it or else she's not getting ice cream.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

Do some kids think Mickey is real? Doesn't each Disney park feature the fact that Walt created the character? I always saw so much emphasis on the magic of imagination, I never thought my kids were supposed 'believe' in anything other than the fun we were having as family.

I was surprised just yesterday to learn that my kids (10,8,8) believe the characters to be real. I always thought we all understood that is just a costume and we just have a blast getting caught up with the magic. I made a comment to DH about Sully's costume being really cool and one of my girls was horrified and didn't know what to say!! We just told her that they are real if you believe and they all strongly agreed that they believe! My kids fall on the very innocent side of things and also still believe in the big guy in red ect...I figure I'll let that go as long as they want! When they ask I'll tell them.