Earlier this year, on St. Patrick’s Day morning, I followed our routine with only a slight twist. I helped my son get dressed, intentionally laying out a green shirt. That was it. After dropping him off at school, I returned home to browse online, and what did I find?
Kitchens with overturned chairs and a few cabinet doors left ajar. Living rooms strewn with shoes and books. Empty, made-up “traps.” Bathrooms festooned with toilet paper streamers. It looked like a typical Wednesday at our place! But no, this wasn’t the result of my casual housekeeping—it was the work of mischievous leprechauns.
Suddenly, it hit me: some of my son’s classmates would be regaling him with tales of how a leprechaun made a mess in their homes overnight, leaving behind chocolate coins and limited edition boxes of Lucky Charms. I felt betrayed by my fellow parents, who seemed determined to create a world that’s relentlessly and unnecessarily magical.
I just don’t understand the urge some parents have. St. Patrick’s Day used to be about wearing green, perhaps enjoying some corned beef and cabbage, and maybe a Guinness (or two). We used to do small things to celebrate, like adding green food dye to our dinners, but when that resulted in our kids refusing to eat, we stopped. Meanwhile, others have gone on to even more extravagant lengths.
One of these years, my son will come home and ask why a leprechaun visits his friend Jake’s house every year but not ours. I’ll have to say, “Leprechauns aren’t real, and Jake’s parents are just spinning tales. Now eat your green eggs.” This is nonsense I refuse to engage in, alongside other parents who keep trying to amplify the magic of already special occasions.
Let’s break it down:
Christmas
A jolly man in a red suit visits every home worldwide via a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer, leaving personalized gifts under the tree. Verdict: NOT ENOUGH MAGIC. Now there’s an Elf on the Shelf watching the kids for a month, and we have to remember to move him nightly to maintain the illusion. Plus, let’s dust powdered sugar around the boots to make it look like Santa’s footprints, ignoring the fact he already left gifts and ate our cookies.
Losing a Tooth
You place it under your pillow and wake up to find a few coins or some cash left by a fairy. Verdict: NEEDS MORE MAGIC. Now we sprinkle glitter everywhere as fairy dust and write notes about dental hygiene, or leave a whole toy instead of just a dollar to convey more love.
Easter
A rabbit hides eggs around the house overnight, and no one knows why. The eggs contain candy, and you put them in a basket filled with fake grass. Verdict: NO MAGIC HERE. Now we make all our food look like tiny bunny faces and fill fields with plastic eggs, turning the hunt into a chaotic scramble to collect more than anyone else.
Thanksgiving seems to have escaped this trend for now, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before Pinterest bombards me with images of stuffed pilgrims watching over children, threatening them with smallpox for misbehavior.
Life is inherently magical! Just look around—you’re alive, and there are countless moments that can feel extraordinary if you take a moment to breathe and appreciate them. Instead of teaching our kids to constantly expect grand gestures, let’s help them learn to appreciate the world as it is. It’s magical enough without any extra fluff.
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In summary, let’s embrace the magic of everyday life instead of piling on unnecessary embellishments for our children. Life can be enchanting enough without the added drama.
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