Teacher ruins Disney magic

OP, for what it's worth, I would just leave the issue alone. It's unfortunate but I would not contact the teacher or school.

And when my DD was in first grade she also believed the Disney characters were real. In fact, her first grade teacher had the whole class write letters to their favorite Disney characters as a writing exercise, and encouraged the kids to share when and if they received replies.
 
I don't think this type of situation is the end of the world or anything. But let's not act like we can't teach fiction vs non-fiction with direct examples of stuff like this.

You and I agree on this point - there are several different arguments going on here. One group of people are saying Disney characters are like Santa, don't mess with them. That's a point many here agree on. I agree as well, despite being ignorant of the fact that many think of the animal characters that way for most of my life.

Another group of people is saying teachers don't have any right to teach fact vs. fantasy in early elementary school. Some of us are arguing against that stream of the discussion. If you're specifically referencing MY posts as acting as if I can't teach without those examples, you are free to reference my other posts in this thread to see that is not my opinion.
 
I'm a teacher, and I've been upset with my son's third grade teacher several times this year. My son has always been very interested in ghosts and the paranormal. No idea why. She tells him every time he checks out a book on these topics that they aren't real, etc. I always tell him that she is entitled to her opinion, and that she has no evidence of that. Of course, neither does he, so to each his own. I find it strange when teachers choose to kecture kids on their beliefs.
 
Well I checked in to look at my thread and there were 200 new messages! Wow! Well I read them all and I'll comment on a few below. Since it's quite late here, I'll say that I am not going to contact the teacher. I never planned on it. I however told my husband that if it meant that much to him, he could discuss it with her, knowing full well that he would not do that. DD hasn't brought it up since. We've had a busy week here with work, school, illness and bad weather so not much time to consider other things. I'm sure other parents will bring it up with her. If I had the opportunity to speak face to face with her, I might bring it up to discuss, but otherwise no.

DD's music teacher is excellent and she definitely shares depth of her subject matter. I don't think there was any malice. I do think she has a tendency to give out too much information at times, probably without realizing it so that is probably what happened. I wouldn't expect or want slips of paper notifying me of discussions etc.

OP-does your child still believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny?
1st...2nd grade is when most kids discover the Truth-from other kids mostly

Our first trip, my kids were 6 and 7-they loved posing with Mickey for several years-I think then "knew' it was a person in a costume:):flower:

Yes she does believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny.

I think there's a pretty distinct difference in agreeing with a child who says "Mickey Mouse is an example of a fictional character" vs going out of your way to point out that in addition to that, those characters you see at the park are just actors in costume.

Exactly! If I were to discuss, this would be the line I would ask her to consider omitting from her discussion in the future.

OP, don't overlook the value small childhood disappointments have in helping children develop the ability to handle the things in life that don't go their way. As parents we all have the inclination not to want our kids to be unhappy for even a moment in life, but that's just not possible.

I'm sure it doesn't come across that way in my initial post, but I am the last person to coddle my daughter. Unfortunately, she has encountered many disappointing situations as of lately, but that is life. The most recent one being that we will not be able to afford a Disney vacation this year.

My oldest is in kindergarten, and he thinks Mickey is real. He does have issues with Doc McStuffins though! LOL!! Seriously though, I've never told him Mickey was real, or anything like that, but he's always assumed that the "main" characters are all real. He was so excited when Mickey talked to him (the new Mickey at MK), that he told everyone all about it.

If his teacher ever told him Mickey wasn't real, I admit that I'd be disappointed, and maybe even a little angry about it. I would never say anything to the school about it, but I would be bummed b/c kids have a short time of distinguishing fantasy from reality, and it really is a sweet time to enjoy with them.

This is basically how I felt.

LOL- I always wonder about the little baby Jesus baked into king cake. Who bakes their Gd?

This gave me a chuckle. i have had this thought many times.


Seems kind of dramatic when we are talking about 6/7 year olds that still believe in other mythical/fantasy stuff, IMO.

I think OPs reaction is a bit over the top, but I'm really kind of shocked at the amount of people that are so appalled by some first graders believing in some make believe fun stuff.

How is my reaction over the top? I said I was upset, mostly disappointed.

OP, I'm curious. When would you have told her about the truth about the characters at Disney? Sooner or later she would have known about it. Same goes for Santa, the EB, etc. I really don't think it'll change her view of Disney.

Also, kids learn about lots of different things while at school. Sometimes it isn't always the teachers. I remember learning about Santa at school. I was devastated for maybe an hour and then moved on. It hasn't taken away anything from the holiday. And yes, in our house Santa gives to the adults too!

I figured it would probably be on our next Disney trip which was originally planned for June 2015. Now that is off. DH and I figured we would address it when she brought up.
 


Sure. Or a teacher could just leave it at lots of people believe in different things and it's up to each person and family to decide and then move on. It's not a huge task.

I think you're missing the point. As a teacher, why would I want to "fluff" off their questions? :confused3

You can have a meaningful discussion with your students about Santa, Mickey or whoever without blatantly saying one or the other is not real. The students leave the class feeling satisfied that they were listened to. Then you can move on.
 
You and I agree on this point - there are several different arguments going on here. One group of people are saying Disney characters are like Santa, don't mess with them. That's a point many here agree on. I agree as well, despite being ignorant of the fact that many think of the animal characters that way for most of my life.

Another group of people is saying teachers don't have any right to teach fact vs. fantasy in early elementary school. Some of us are arguing against that stream of the discussion. If you're specifically referencing MY posts as acting as if I can't teach without those examples, you are free to reference my other posts in this thread to see that is not my opinion.

I wasn't referencing your personal teaching practices.

How is my reaction over the top? I said I was upset, mostly disappointed.

I quoted the person I was talking to. Not sure why you thought I was referencing your post.

I think you're missing the point. As a teacher, why would I want to "fluff" off their questions? :confused3

You can have a meaningful discussion with your students about Santa, Mickey or whoever without blatantly saying one or the other is not real. The students leave the class feeling satisfied that they were listened to. Then you can move on.

Okay. Then do so. That's not what this teacher did, and I was offering an example. If you can achieve the same goal in a different way, kudos.
 
I'm a teacher, and I've been upset with my son's third grade teacher several times this year. My son has always been very interested in ghosts and the paranormal. No idea why. She tells him every time he checks out a book on these topics that they aren't real, etc. I always tell him that she is entitled to her opinion, and that she has no evidence of that. Of course, neither does he, so to each his own. I find it strange when teachers choose to kecture kids on their beliefs.


so you believe ghosts are real?

Really? What do you teach?
 


so you believe ghosts are real?

Really? What do you teach?

She didn't say that she teaches students that ghosts are real, she just said that her child has the right to his opinion and he does. Unless the teacher was actually teaching a lesson on the paranormal and said "In my opinion, these things are not real" then there was really no reason for her to comment on the child's choice of books.

There are a least a million ways to teach fact vs fantasy without so much as touching on Mickey, Santa, EB or the paranormal for that matter. I know because I have done it. We taught this lesson to preschoolers. They ALL believed in these things so we couldn't use any of them for an example. It can still certainly be done. In teaching it to older children, it may be more challenging but it can still be done.
 
LOL You're kidding, right?
LOL You're kidding, right?
You would think. But the fact that this is still being debated 12 pages later is cray. I get a 2 yo believing that is real. But once a child starts to understand reality any giant person with a character face would not seem real, including mall Easter Bunnies. They would still think it is awesome but not really think it's an actual giant mouse.
 
:offtopic:
All of this talk that ghosts/spirits don't exist would be way wrong. I grew up in an old Victorian, perhaps you can answer who the extra shadows were that would read over my shoulder? It was an odd presence to get used to.
 
You would think. But the fact that this is still being debated 12 pages later is cray. I get a 2 yo believing that is real. But once a child starts to understand reality any giant person with a character face would not seem real, including mall Easter Bunnies. They would still think it is awesome but not really think it's an actual giant mouse.

Its a different way in which a child thinks. He/she knows its not like the mouse running around in the kitchen but that doesn't make Mickey just as real. Sort of like they really believe Santa visits all the children in the world in one night and that reindeer can fly. To them, WDW may be this magical place where Mickey and Minnie from the cartoon become real. Its part of the magic they believe in.

I wouldn't be all that upset about the teacher saying they are not real, but I do think she could have used another way to teach the lesson.
 
My third graders are old enough not to believe that Mickey is real. However,each year I have the kids write letters to characters, and every year they squeal with excitement when Mickey writes back to them. The Magic comes alive at Disney whether you believe during your every day life or not. I mean, my 40 year old DH insists on visiting Mickey on every trip and I'm fairly certain he knows that it's just a costume.

If you decide to say something, please address the teacher directly. You wouldn't want someone complaining to your boss if you didn't even know something was wrong, would you?
 
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I'm glad neither the OP nor her husband are going to contact the teacher over this matter. It's really not worth raising a fuss over. A mild vent on a message board is fine.
 
You would think. But the fact that this is still being debated 12 pages later is cray. I get a 2 yo believing that is real. But once a child starts to understand reality any giant person with a character face would not seem real, including mall Easter Bunnies. They would still think it is awesome but not really think it's an actual giant mouse.

That is an incredibly sad thought, that children should stop believing in magic, or in reality using their imaginations, after 2. I'm really glad my kids don't fit into that mold.
 
That is an incredibly sad thought, that children should stop believing in magic, or in reality using their imaginations, after 2. I'm really glad my kids don't fit into that mold.

The notion that it's only "using your imagination" when you believe something that isn't true is what's sad to me. Are you saying that 6 year old who builds an elaborate block structure, or dresses up in a cape and reenacts a favorite fairy tale, or that my teenager isn't using his imagination when he builds and paints a set for the play he's working, or works with his friends to write, act, film, and produce a movie? After all, in none of those cases does the kid believe that it's a real castle, or that he's a real prince, or that the story in the play or movie is nonfiction.

A kid doesn't need to believe something is real to be able to enjoy it and engage in it imaginatively.

I don't have a problem with my kid believing weird things. That's what kids do. I do have a problem with the idea that, as either a parent or a teacher, I'm supposed to turn myself inside out to prevent my kid outgrowing this stage. A six year old who is developmentally ready to understand that a teacher's explanation that Walt Disney built Walt Disney world means that Mickey is an actor in a costume, made that leap because she was ready to outgrow that belief. Once she's ready the belief is going to fall apart pretty quickly anyway, whether it's because she notices that Cinderella has a slightly different appearance between the MK and Epcot, or she sees a seem on Goofy's costume, or she questions why Donald Duck talks in the cartoon but not in Chef Mickey's.
 
That is an incredibly sad thought, that children should stop believing in magic, or in reality using their imaginations, after 2. I'm really glad my kids don't fit into that mold.

That's a pretty strong twist and overstatement of the statement you quoted. I haven't believed costumed characters are real since days of yore, yet more and more as this endless winter goes on I've been fantasizing and imagining my fanny to be plunked down on a chaise lounge on a gorgeous beach with palm trees swaying in the breeze. I can feel the sun warming my face and the sand between my toes as I type this. It would appear my imagination has survived the trauma of reality just fine.
 
The notion that it's only "using your imagination" when you believe something that isn't true is what's sad to me. Are you saying that 6 year old who builds an elaborate block structure, or dresses up in a cape and reenacts a favorite fairy tale, or that my teenager isn't using his imagination when he builds and paints a set for the play he's working, or works with his friends to write, act, film, and produce a movie? After all, in none of those cases does the kid believe that it's a real castle, or that he's a real prince, or that the story in the play or movie is nonfiction.

A kid doesn't need to believe something is real to be able to enjoy it and engage in it imaginatively.

I don't have a problem with my kid believing weird things. That's what kids do. I do have a problem with the idea that, as either a parent or a teacher, I'm supposed to turn myself inside out to prevent my kid outgrowing this stage. A six year old who is developmentally ready to understand that a teacher's explanation that Walt Disney built Walt Disney world means that Mickey is an actor in a costume, made that leap because she was ready to outgrow that belief. Once she's ready the belief is going to fall apart pretty quickly anyway, whether it's because she notices that Cinderella has a slightly different appearance between the MK and Epcot, or she sees a seem on Goofy's costume, or she questions why Donald Duck talks in the cartoon but not in Chef Mickey's.

The post I quoted insinuated that kids after the age of 2 believing in something like Mickey Mouse was ridiculous. I was pointing out how sad that would be were it true. Lots of children believe in things like Mickey Mouse long after the age of 2 and it's completely normal.

Nowhere in my post did I suggest that anyone turn themselves inside out to perpetuate a child's belief beyond what they are developmentally ready for. If your kid comes to the realization that Mickey Mouse is not real naturally, then it's just time. It's not coming to it naturally to have someone tell them "oh by the way, Mickey is just a guy in a costume".
 
The post I quoted insinuated that kids after the age of 2 believing in something like Mickey Mouse was ridiculous. I was pointing out how sad that would be were it true. Lots of children believe in things like Mickey Mouse long after the age of 2 and it's completely normal.

Nowhere in my post did I suggest that anyone turn themselves inside out to perpetuate a child's belief beyond what they are developmentally ready for. If your kid comes to the realization that Mickey Mouse is not real naturally, then it's just time. It's not coming to it naturally to have someone tell them "oh by the way, Mickey is just a guy in a costume".

When I read the quote I see a reference to understanding a two year old believing what their eyes tell them wholeheartedly, and then going on to reference a child growing and developing an understanding of reality going beyond that. They didn't mention two years old was the limit, that's simply your characterization of their statement.
 
:offtopic:
All of this talk that ghosts/spirits don't exist would be way wrong. I grew up in an old Victorian, perhaps you can answer who the extra shadows were that would read over my shoulder? It was an odd presence to get used to.

In the house I grew up, there was definitely something afoot. Mom would hear whispering, feel something touch her hair, or the man who called himself "Uncle Bob" who would speak to my older sister from under her bed, and then there was the time the hair dryer turned on by itself...unplugged....in the hall closet.
 
In the house I grew up, there was definitely something afoot. Mom would hear whispering, feel something touch her hair, or the man who called himself "Uncle Bob" who would speak to my older sister from under her bed, and then there was the time the hair dryer turned on by itself...unplugged....in the hall closet.

Our poor dog just could not take it. She would go and hide until she sensed they were gone.
 

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