Who believes in the Easter Bunny? - Page 3

[snoopy5386]

DD just turned 3 and we didn't really do the bunny this year. She was very into Santa at Christmas, but her birthday was the week before Easter, so that was the big thing this month. I only got the Easter stuff out last weekend. Didn't bother to take her to see the bunny at the mall, I thought she would be terrified. Plus we travel for Easter and DD gets lots of easter baskets - this year it was one from the neighbor, one from each set of grandparents (she has 4 sets - isn't divorce great?), one from an aunt and then one from us. It makes no sense, the easter bunny isn't going to leave 6 baskets for her all over creation and if you go the other way and the one from DH and I was from the bunny, well why was only that one bunny from him and not us? So I don't think we are going to do it. I think we will do it more as a story, pretend, etc. But I will keep up with Santa and we'll do the tooth fairy too.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Starflower

What I find really funny is that DD says that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are really just parents, but she says that she believes Santa Claus is a real person.

When ds1 asked me about the Easter Bunny, and we had the "yeah - it's really me" conversation, he also asked about the Tooth Fairy. So, I fessed up. That was fine. Later on (we were shopping - his question was triggered by seeing a bunny at the store that was the same as one he had in his basket), I said something about, "well, how does it feel knowing that I'm really the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus"...whereupon, he looked up at me, and said "Santa Claus, too??" in a completely shocked voice. He had no idea that Santa was also made up. I guess kids just look at things differently.

Anyway - yes. We did the Easter Bunny as kids, and I do it with my kids now. We also did/do Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

Didn't bother to take her to see the bunny at the mall, I thought she would be terrified.

So many people have mentioned bunnies in the mall, people dressed up like the easter bunny, and having pics taken with the mall bunny. I have never seen one myself! If it weren't for this thread, I wouldn't have even known they existed.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~

So many people have mentioned bunnies in the mall, people dressed up like the easter bunny, and having pics taken with the mall bunny. I have never seen one myself! If it weren't for this thread, I wouldn't have even known they existed.

Likewise. I know about mall Santas, but I've never heard of, or seen, a mall Bunny.

[bwylde]

The kids looked confused when people asked if the Easter Bunny was coming. I hate it when they're put on the spot like that. We were on vacation last week and we saw our first Mall Bunny (we live in a small town where such things don't roam). I didn't know there was such a thing either, lol! I just kind of rushed the kids past.

The kids were with me when I bought their treats, I put them in baskets they had, I don't care who they think they are from. They can pretend or believe in the Easter Bunny if they want. We do the same with Santa. I don't push or force it and let them believe what they want.

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

Likewise. I know about mall Santas, but I've never heard of, or seen, a mall Bunny.

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[Therese's Mommy]

I grew up thinking there was an Easter bunny and Santa Claus. Dh was adamant that we not lie to our children about them. My children get just as many gifts at Christmas as they would they just know they are from us and not Santa. I let my kids know not to tell their friends about there being no Santa. Same with the Easter bunny, the girls got a basket, that I hid, but they know it was from Dh and I. We just don't like the idea of lying to our kids about this stuff. Dh said that there are enough disappointments in life, why create more??

[ernalala]

Originally Posted by Therese's Mommy

Dh said that there are enough disappointments in life, why create more??

Just to say that 'finding out' or being told that Santa Claus, Easter bunny are made-up characters, doesn't mean a child gets traumatically disappointed by that discovery. I know for me it just was the logical explanation for what I probably unconsciously considered already. I am grateful for my parents to have given me this magic. When I found out that it was actually them doing all this stuff for us, I was not at all disappointed, I just found out the reality about it and was truly happy that my parents had done/did this for us. Didn't feel cheated in any way. I was not planning to go and tell every little kid around that they were not real because I found out, I would help in nurturing the tradition by keeping up the magic.

Maybe some children end up being disappointed.

Therefore, we nurture the phantasy but we don't go to extreme extents to keep it that way. If my kids are close to finding out, even at the age of 4, well than that's the case and I won't push it further. They even know Sinterklaas (our Santa) has 'helpers'. Their logical reasoning will put 1 and 1 together one day and they will realise how it really works. We won't stop doing the traditions once they find out either. They will just have a change of perspective. I do a lot of explaining to them about things happening around them, why, reasons and consequences. I am sure they will be as easy in accepting the way of these traditions.

[mamadebug]

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~

So many people have mentioned bunnies in the mall, people dressed up like the easter bunny, and having pics taken with the mall bunny. I have never seen one myself! If it weren't for this thread, I wouldn't have even known they existed.

Wow! Maybe it is regional? We have two malls within 20 minutes of us, and in the weeks leading up to Easter, the Easter Bunny is there all day the same way Santa is before Christmas. There are lines of kids to see him.

We don't celebrate the religious aspects of Easter, but we really get into the chickies and bunnies and candy and eggs. We do the Easter Bunny, and find it magical. My son LOVES the Easter Bunny and loves to go visit him in the mall. He loves to find an Easter basket, and believes it is from the Easter Bunny - as much as he believes any of this stuff is true. I think he knows it isn't really real, from some of the things he has said ("That guy must be really hot in that suit" about the mall bunny), but enjoys it. I am happy to play along with it, but would tell him if directly asked if the Easter Bunny was real or not.

[StrawberryFields]

Originally Posted by mamadebug

Wow! Maybe it is regional? We have two malls within 20 minutes of us, and in the weeks leading up to Easter, the Easter Bunny is there all day the same way Santa is before Christmas. There are lines of kids to see him.

We have the mall bunnies here too, just like Santa. I have never taken my kids but I have pics of myself sitting on the mall Easter Bunny's lap when I was a toddler. I love making up and hiding the baskets and the eggs, I think it is way more fun than Santa.

[gcgirl]

Oh heck, I'm from an atheist family, and we did both Santa and the Easter Bunny. It's good clean fun, and none of my siblings are deranged from going through the experience. Lol.

ETA: Plus we kind of like the pagan symbolism.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by StrawberryFields

We have the mall bunnies here too, just like Santa. I have never taken my kids but I have pics of myself sitting on the mall Easter Bunny's lap when I was a toddler. I love making up and hiding the baskets and the eggs, I think it is way more fun than Santa.

I was wondering after the other posts if this was a recent thing that hadn't spread all over yet, but if you did this as a toddler, that seems unlikely. I wonder if it's a US only thing? I don't know where Purity is posting from, though.

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

I wonder if it's a US only thing? I don't know where Purity is posting from, though.

I'm posting from Alaska. I grew up in the US and Scotland, though.