Apparently imaginary frogs are OK

So you remember the whole my-kids-will-not-be-believing-in-Santa thing? Well, I'm a hypocrite. The whole time I was destroying Téo's sweet fantasies about a benevolent distributor of presents, I was doing nothing to curb another belief: the frog in his throat.

Yes, Téo believes there is a frog living in his throat.

It all started when mum was here. She often has to clear her throat in the morning, and Téo was curious. She said she had a frog in her throat. He became fascinated.

Since then, every time time he coughs he says it's because of the frog.

Plus he's been opening his mouth wide, showing off the frog to everyone who'll look. Of course, everyone he shows plays along, exclaiming over said frog.

And what have I done? Smiled indulgently and said nothing. Because it is pretty funny.

Last week he went further, saying his throat hurt because le fwog bited me.

I admit that at this point, I felt a few qualms. Before the frog came along, he was able to tell me that his throat hurt because of germs, but that his body was going to kill the germs. He knew some biology. I was proud. I was less proud that he was now attributing the soreness to an imaginary amphibian. I tried to correct him, but no mummy, it's because of le fwog.

And since then? Well, I've let it go. It's cute. It's harmless. And I do like quizzing him about where the frog is when it's not in his throat. You know, le fwog managed to escape! It saw my mouz open, and it hopped out, and den it saw le mouz of grand-maman open, and it hopped into her swoat! Fancy dat!

So then, apparently I feel that letting children believe in popular myths is BAD, but letting them believe in independent and alternative untruths is absolutely FINE AND DANDY.

From my CD collection you'd never guess I'm such an elitist snob.