Do you play tricks with your children to make them believe that the world is in their control rather than others? It’s like a lie with good intention. My husband is a master of this. The very recent trick that my husband is playing with Vivian is to make her believe that she can put out the light by blowing air to the lamp, especially our floor lamp in the living room.

Every time when we need to light up the lamp or put out the lamp, we asked V to blow it from wherever she was. After so many times successful experience in putting out the light by blowing the air from her mouth, now we think that she totally believes that it was her in the control of that lamp, while the real secret is a timer installed in the power point which is linking to this lamp, and a remote control that we can hold in hand to press the button to switch it on/off around the same time when she was blowing the air. The remote control is so tiny that can fit in our fist easily. she never took the notice of its existence and of course she was always very focusing on her action and enjoyed the whole thing.

It reminded me one of Adam Sandler’s movie (Can’t remember the name). He gave the boy a pair of sunnies and told him whenever he feels scared, he can wear them then nobody would be able to see him. Of course it is a lie, just like what we have been doing to V. But sometimes don’t you find it easier to just give children “light” answers than making their world too serious?

Some people might call it deception, false leading information or manipulation of the perception, we see human being’s (especially adult) sense of humour that is being played here to give our children easier version of understanding for their logic. Do you agree? Do you play tricks with them as well?