It's Easter: Let The Torment Begin!

Waiting in line for Easter Bunny photos was very disturbing this year. This yearly ritual is 110% for the benefit of the parents. I watched as child after child was ushered toward a full grown man in a full blown rabbit costume complete with oversized feet and granny-like spectacles. Each child's happiness could be measured by his or her proximity to the Easter bunny. The closer each child got, the louder the screams and the wilder the flailing of arms became.

It became very apparent to me. Children HATE the Easter Bunny. Yet, despite this fact, parent after parent pushed, prodded and pleaded, as if sending cattle to the slaughter. I heard some parents bribe their children with candy (one parent literally snatched a sucker out of her child's hand when she refused to sit with the Easter Bunny!). I heard other parents beg their children to do it "for grandma" and plead with them to "show your teeth!" When the children screamed and threw tantrums, the parents would spend 10 minutes playing games with their child- they were desperate, they'd have done anything for one smiling picture perfect moment captured on kodak paper.

This scenario played out with every single family waiting in line with a child over 5 months old. Yet, even after witnessing the torment play out with everyone that came befor them, the parents continued to wait in the ridiculously long line, assuring themselves that their child would be different. It was really REALLY disturbing. And yet, we did the same thing. The things parents do to their children all in the name of tradition, sheesh!

And our child wasn't different. But we didn't care. We like our picture just the way it is. (And there was no way we were going to let Jacob have all the fun).