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via KC Davis (used with permission) and Canva/Photos

KC Davis has a stroke of genius.

Most parents will eventually have the moment when they need to tell their kids the truth about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. However, a big part of the big reveal is determining whether their child is old enough to hear the truth.

Tell them when they’re too young and you’re killing a magical part of childhood. They could also tell their friends and ruin it for them, too. KC Davis, a licensed therapist and popular TikTok mom, had a stroke of genius when her 4-year-old daughter came to her with an important question about the Tooth Fairy. “I think I accidentally discovered my best parenting hack this morning when my 4-year-old asked me if the tooth fairy was real,” Davis, known as @domesticblisters on the platform, opened her video.

Davis is also the author of the bestseller “How to Keep House While Drowning.”

@domesticblisters

This may be my single greatest contribution to Momtok #parenting

As a parent who values honest relationships with her 2 daughters, the question put her in a tough place. “I'm pretty big about answering questions honestly, especially direct questions that my kids ask me, but I also don’t want to spoil magic things for them if they're not ready to move on,” she told her 1.6 million followers.

But Davis was able to come up with an honest response that kept the magic alive for her daughter. “In a stroke of genius, I said, ‘Do you want the magic answer or the grownup answer?’ And she said, ‘The magic answer, please.’ I said, ‘Yes! The tooth fairy is real,’” she continued.



“When my daughter asked me about the Tooth Fairy, my gut just told me, I don't think she really wants to opt out of this yet,” she told Upworthy. “I don’t even think she consciously understands that the grown-up answer means I was going to tell her no. And that's sort of the genius of it; her mind didn’t even really go to that because magic is still such a pull for her, which means she's still at an age where I would be sort of ruining it for her if I told her the ‘truth.’"



Some commenters shared how they handled the question from their kids. “I did the same thing for Santa. My 8 yo said ‘adult’ answer. So I broke the news. She looked me dead in the eyes and said, ‘We’re still going to pretend.’ And then we pretended it never happened,” Kiki wrote. “I remember when my youngest daughter asked my oldest daughter if Santa Claus was real, and my oldest daughter said, ‘It is as real as the Tooth Fairy.’ The youngest daughter smiled contentedly,” SwimBikeRun added.

“I always told my daughter the magic was real as long as she believed. She told me recently (16) that she appreciated that. She never felt lied to and got to enjoy the magic of childhood,” Mamamantha wrote.

Although Davis thinks it’s important to preserve the magic of childhood, she understands why some parents are cautious about being dishonest with their children. “I think every parent needs to make the choice that feels best to them,” she told Upworthy. “I understand not wanting to break your kid's trust, and I think that’s why I liked asking it this way because it still gives kids a choice and they can trust you to respond to what they need and want while allowing you to create the magic.”

Family

New England mall's ingenious ‘Santa elevator' is a child’s Christmas fantasy come true

Natick Mall takes Santa visits to a whole other level with its magical "elevator" to the North Pole.

Visiting Santa at the Natick Mall is an otherworldly experience.

Visiting Santa Claus at the mall is a holiday tradition for countless American families, and it's usually a similar setup no matter where you go. You find the big display with the big Christmas decor, step into a long line of parents and kids ranging from giddy to terrified, wait for Santa's helper dressed in an elf costume to say it's your turn, then take pics of your kid telling a stranger in a Santa suit what they want for Christmas in an effort to give your kids a taste of holiday wonder.

But one mall in Massachusetts has upped the mall Santa bar so far it's above the clouds—literally.

The Natick Mall's "Magic Elevator Express" takes visiting Santa to a whole other magical level that even the Grinchiest of grownups can appreciate. And the idea is so brilliantly simple, it could be replicated just about anywhere.


A viral TikTok video from @natasha_luigui showing her son Kohen and his family taking the elevator as it rises up into the sky and over the clouds all the way to the North Pole is the kind of thing dreams are made of. Gears appear to move the elevator up, revealing a city stretching out below. Then the elevator soars higher, then takes off on a magical ride through the air until suddenly the North Pole appears and you end up right at Santa's front door. Then you ring the doorbell and wait.

Just watch:

People are raving about the Natick Mall's magical Santa elevator:

"OMG all my children are grown as hell but I wanna ride the Santa elevator express," wrote one commenter.

"Not me watching this entire clip with a smile on my face the whole time," wrote another.

"This brought me right back to my Christmas childhood magic and wonder," shared another. "I'd love to do this! He will never forget the time he traveled and met Santa."

"And I love that he can sit NEXT to Santa if he wants to and not be forced to sit on his lap," added another.

Here's a better view of what it looks like from the outside:

@ouulalaerica

Take a trip to go see santa through “The Magic Elevator Express” at Natick Mall! It was a great experience and our pictures came out great! Huge shout out to everyone working, they were awesome! #natickmall #natickmass #santa #magicelevatorexpress

It's amazing what some wood, paint and a little video technology can do. The screens create the illusion of going up and soaring through the magical sky, though the "elevator" remains on firm ground at the mall. Santa's "living room" is right there next to it the whole time, but the effect of the elevator experience transports kids into a magical fantasy. The simple, well-executed concept makes all the difference between a standard mall Santa visit and this journey tapped straight from a child's imagination.

Well done, whoever is behind this ingenious experience. You're giving kids and families holiday memories they'll never forget.

Joy

Sorry, Santa. Doctor issues warning about kissing bearded men.

It's more dangerous than most people think.

A TikTokker has an adverse reaction to a make-out session.

Sorry to all of the people out there who might have their game ruined by the following story. But the truth is that if you have a beard, you should take the necessary precautions to ensure that the next person you kiss doesn’t wind up with a major case of beard burn.

A disturbing video went viral on TikTok featuring a woman with red spots on her chin who claims to have “kissed a guy with facial hair.” The clip caught the attention of Dr. Muneeb Shah, known on TikTok as “The Derm Doctor.”


@dermdoctor

PSA: clean your beards @Rylee Kriete #dermdoctor #impetigo

The Derm Doctor is incredibly popular on the platform, with over 18 million followers. His response to the red-faced woman racked up over 19 million views.

In the video, the Derm Doctor confirmed that making out with someone with a big beard can cause problems. “Clean your beards,” the doctor said before explaining that they can cause minor cuts in the kiss recipient’s face. Further, if the beard isn’t clean, bacteria can be transferred to the open wounds, resulting in impetigo.

Impetigo is a bacterial infection that can be cleared up with antibiotics.

The good news is that this infection of passion can be prevented with a bit of prevention. “On the receiving end, using a barrier cream or moisturizer before contact can help,” Dr. Kautilya Shaurya, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC, tells Real Simple. Dr. Shaurya also suggests that those with beards keep them short, moisturized and clean so they don’t injure their partners.

Parenting

Mom perfectly explains how emotional it is to accept kids letting go of 'childhood magic'

'But I know that this year is probably the last year we'll have our Elf on the Shelf, Peppermint.'

Photo by Misty Ladd on Unsplash

Mom explains the emotional process of kids letting go of childhood magic.

One of the best things about having children is being able to pass along your family traditions or starting new traditions. Many families let their kids experience the magic of fictional characters like the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. But eventually they get older and they slowly start to realize the truth.

For parents, this can be an emotional process because it signals that their kids are growing up and moving into the next stage of life—adolescence. Soogia, a mom on TikTok, perfectly explains her youngest child's gradual realization that things in her childhood have been "pretend."

Through tears, Soogia talks about the Elf on the Shelf she has for her daughters, saying, "But I know that this year is probably the last year we'll have our Elf on the Shelf, Peppermint." She described how her daughter has started to ask questions about the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy and now Elf on the Shelf.


But Soogia refrained from just telling her daughter the truth on the last one. Instead, when her daughter asked, "Is Peppermint real?" the mom of two asked, "Do you really want to know?" Soogia explained that her daughter started to cry before admitting that she didn't want to know the answer. Oh, my heart. You just want to hold on a little bit longer to that childhood innocence.

Soogia says she thinks it's her daughter's way of preserving the magic for herself a little while longer. In the end, the mom reveals when her kids figure out the elf isn't real that they will get their turn at hiding it around the house. It's always a little sad when we realize the "last" is happening or has happened. Soogia's explanation of experiencing her children's "last" piece of childhood magic is so relatable.

Watch the video below:

@soogia1

Feeling super emotional this holiday season but who isn’t? #elfontheshelf #peppermint #childhood #magic