what do you tell your kids?

[disneybliss2]

How does everyone explain to their children why the costume characters can't talk? How do you explain they can't talk but the face characters can? I certainly don't want to spoil the magic for my children. Any ideas? I posted this on another forum, because I wasn't sure which it would fall best under, so I'm sorry if some of you are seeing this double. I apologize--but this is a big issue in our house and I honestly haven't come up with a good answer to explain to my little girl why Micky can't talk, yet Cinderella can. Help please!

 

[okeydokey]

I'm not sure, mine always knew they were people in costumes even when they were very young. They loved seeing them and had a great time meeting them but I never had to have that conservation with them.

 

[ColleenG]

We've had this same issue in our house and haven't come up with a good answer either, other than "I don't know." Sadly DD is getting old enough to realize that they are just people in costumes, but the princesses are still real to her. I think because they can talk. It's so sad to see that little piece of childhood niavety (sp) slip away. I just don't want her to ruin it for the little kids.

 

[RedAlfalfa]

We told my DD that they can't talk b/c with so many kids around they'd lose their voice if they talked to everyone- and it wouldn't be fair to talk to some kids and not others.
Princesses are human and more used to talking so they can have short conversations.

The only problem is if she ever meets the human characters in a suit (like Captain Hook or Smee) then I'll be at a loss....

 

[bas71873]

We were at P&PP in February and while standing in line for Dumbo, DD4 was watching the dance party at Ariel's grotto and asked me why Flounder had feet???????? I just stared at her like an idiot!!! Thankfully she got distracted by something else before I answered and she never pressed the issue.

 

[SueM in MN]

One thing to remember is that you as a parent won't always know the answer and my feeling is why make something up just so you can give an answer that you know is not true.
What I always did with those sorts of questions was to turn them back to the child, "I'm not sure. What do you think?"
DDs came up with some pretty good reasons, including:

• the characters would have to talk so much that they would loose their voices
• that they were saving their voices for the show in front of the castle later
• that they couldn't speak every language in the world, so they decided to not speak to anyone so that no one would feel left out
• that they could speak when they were in movies/TV because those was the only places their voices worked since they were cartoons
• that the face characters were human, so their voices worked where ever they were, but the animal characters could only talk outside cartoons if it was 'translated' since animals can't talk in our world (Actually, in Enchanted everyone can understand the human cartoon characters, and they look human, not cartoon. The animals can only speak in squeaks and they stay looking like cartoon characters).

Anyway, as a parent, I learned pretty early not to try to bring answers to the unanswerable questions. Thru the years, that led to a lot of creative thinking on my kids part and a lot of interesting discussions that would not have happened if I just came up with an answer to try to satisfy them (besides, whatever you come up with is probably going to be met with a "yes, but...". If they come up with the same answer, they will be happier with it.

 

[nessz79]

I pretty much agree with SueM.

We usually look at them blankly (lol! but true!), say "I don't know" in a happy-go-lucky way, or ask them what they think.

My 5 year old son, who has a very active imagination, told me that he thinks that the Disney park characters are actually stuffed animals who have magic on them so they are brought to life. How creative! I just smiled and said, "Do you think so?" To which he reaffirmed his idea and that was that.

The 3 year old hasn't thought about these things yet.

I think by letting them figure it out on their own, it really lets them use their imaginations. You only get THAT kind of an imagination once in your life and I'm not going to rush it

 

[DawnM]

There was never any magic in our house either.....kids figured it out and that was that.

Dawn

I'm not sure, mine always knew they were people in costumes even when they were very young. They loved seeing them and had a great time meeting them but I never had to have that conservation with them.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

DD believes that Ursula the Sea Witch stole their voices too! However, she is also well aware that the characters are people in costumes (except for the princesses...she thinks they are "real"). Nobody told her this...she just figured it out for herself.

 

[SueM in MN]

I pretty much agree with SueM.

We usually look at them blankly (lol! but true!), say "I don't know" in a happy-go-lucky way, or ask them what they think.

My 5 year old son, who has a very active imagination, told me that he thinks that the Disney park characters are actually stuffed animals who have magic on them so they are brought to life. How creative! I just smiled and said, "Do you think so?" To which he reaffirmed his idea and that was that.

The 3 year old hasn't thought about these things yet.

I think by letting them figure it out on their own, it really lets them use their imaginations. You only get THAT kind of an imagination once in your life and I'm not going to rush it

Letting them figure it out also avoids a "my mom said this" situation.
A few years ago we saw several little kids talking ang getting friendly before a parade started. During the parade we heard....
Mickey waved at me.
Mickey waves because he can't talk.
I know. My mom said Mickey can only talk in the movies
Well, my mom said he doesn't talk because he would loose his voice if he talked to all the kids. And that's why he doesn't talk
It went on into "nuh-uhh. My mom told me" on both sides after that.

 

[CastleCreations]

We told my DD that they can't talk b/c with so many kids around they'd lose their voice if they talked to everyone- and it wouldn't be fair to talk to some kids and not others.
Princesses are human and more used to talking so they can have short conversations.

The only problem is if she ever meets the human characters in a suit (like Captain Hook or Smee) then I'll be at a loss....

That's the EXACT same thing, I tell my dd!!

 

[Stephres]

I don't like to lie to the kids about any of that stuff. Whenever they have asked about anything "magical" I always ask what they think and they usually come up with a good answer on their own. I don't want them to feel like they have to act like they believe something because I want them to.