[DoughtyOne]

I'm a firm believer in putting it out of reach. You can tell them, but their inquisitiveness makes them do it anyway.

Here's another problem.

When my kids were three or four they wanted to know about Santa Claus. Was he real. We explained that Santa was a nice custom that had developed over the years, but that he was actually a nice man dressed in a Santa suit.

When our kids reached seven or eight, they complained because we made them think Santa was real when he wasn't.

What you say and what they perceive or remember are two different things.

When it's a life and death or serious injury issue, I would recommend against letting them make choices.

[CindyDawg]

Dangerous stuff yes...Books, videos, knick knacks ..no. They need to learn what they can play with and that being destructive isn't acceptable.

As far as santa claus. My mom thought it was child abuse and my neighbors hated me but my kids were taught from the beginning that it was a fun fairy tale.