Showing posts with label young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young. Show all posts

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Young Paul and a Case of Mistaken Identity

Dear Parents,

Even if I were to tell you the goings-on of this past week, you are not going to believe me. I scarcely believe them and they happened to me!

For the last two hundred years I have been replacing lost teeth of kids around the world. I can actually recall my first child whose name is or rather was Derek and he lived in the south of England. Back then word was slow to get to me and oft-times it took me as much as a week to get to a child. The advent of the Telegraph, the telephone (you humans refer to it as a land line), then the facsimile (you probably know it as a fax machine), then the cellular phones made life infinitely easier for me and allowed me to reach children that much faster.

Well, thanks to blogs and mine in particular, my popularity has increased 100 fold in the last few months. I had to hire a dispatcher of sorts. I had been happy to rely on my cell phone, who I call Bernie, but I was missing calls because it is a challenge to find a phone whose ringer I could hear at a 2,000 feet altitude. So, I hired this fantastic woman named Hanne who now answers the phone, takes the orders and when I arrive safely on the ground, I check in with her. This arrangement has been working quite well the past week, well with the exception of one call.

On Friday night I am dispatched to a house where a boy, whose name is Paul has lost his first tooth. Quite traumatized was Paul because he was only 5! He had been told that he had at least another year or two before this ‘normally’ occurred.

Just shortly after midnight I arrived at his home in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I spied an open window and flew in. I was quite surprised to find many adults in the middle of what appeared to be a party in the living room. Wine bottles, beer bottles – both empty and full decorated their living room. People were drinking, dancing and laughing lots and lots. I estimated that there were probably 40 people in the room. The first concern I had, who is watching little Paul?

Somebody in his rather inebriated state took notice of me and although quite surprised, he seemed rather composed. “You look like the Tooth Fairy! I have seen your picture before!”

“I am indeed. I am here to replace the tooth of young Master Paul. Do you know which room I might find him?” I asked.

“There’s no Paul living here. There is Uncle Paul who’s at the party and he has lost a couple of teeth, but he is 75. My name is David.”

“There must be a mistake. I have been directed to come to this home.” I said, I was quite confused as you might imagine.

“Nope, no kids here. We are here celebrating our niece’s good fortune. She graduated from Med School last month and got hired at Duke University.” David paused, “Is it possible that you mean Paul next door?”

By this time a crowd was gathering and nobody could quite make sense of what was going on. They all just kept tilting their heads and looking as if they had seen a ghost. I am quite familiar with this look.

I pulled out my notes. I read them allowed to David. “Paul Higgins, 751 Burlington Street, Vicksburg, MS. I am quite concerned as I need to see him and replace his tooth with a little money and send him a Tooth Fairy Certificate.”

“Oh, little Paully lost his tooth? He lives down the way a bit in house number 715 Burlington. Go on, now. Get moving, it’s just that way.” With that David had opened the door and pointed to his right. “It’s the house with all the Halloween decorations. You can’t miss it.”

With that I was on my way and indeed Mr. David was correct. I found Paul’s room, I exchanged a little money and removed his tooth and left as quickly as I came. I called Hanne and asked her about the error. “Oh I have a little dyslexia. Sorry hun! I will be more careful next time. I promise!”

As you might imagine, Hanne and I had a little chat about being more careful to get the correct information. I certainly would not a repeat of that situation again!

I have now successfully come home and sent young Paul a Tooth Fairy Certificate. I also sent a note to the people living at the incorrect address a thank you note. That was very kind of them to assist me. But then again, I have learned that people living in the south are some of the nicest that I have had the pleasure of meeting.

Goodnight dear readers. I hope you enjoyed this segment. It was certainly interesting while it was happening.

Love,

The Tooth Fairy

www.imaginationdestination.us

Tooth Fairy Letters


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Friday, 11 February 2011

Warning over 3D games for young

31 December 2010 Last updated at 17:08 Child using Nintendo DS, BBC Earlier versions of the DS have proved hugely popular with children. The eyesight of children under six could be harmed by 3D games played on Nintendo's forthcoming handheld console, the company has warned.

The games giant posted the health warning on the website devoted to the 3DS handheld.

It said specialists had warned of possible damage that could be caused by 3D games which present different images to the right and left eye.

Younger children should only play 2D versions of 3DS games, said Nintendo.

Parental control

The 3DS, the successor to the hugely popular DS handheld, goes on sale in late February in Japan and in Europe and the US in March.

The new handheld has two screens like older versions of the console with the top screen being able to show 3D images without the need for special glasses.

Parents should turn off this function if the handheld is going to be used by a child under six years of age, said Nintendo. It said the advice it had received from experts also applied to other 3D content that younger children might be exposed to.

In issuing the warning, Nintendo joins Sony and Toshiba in alerting people to the ill effects that can attend watching 3D movies or playing 3D games.

Sony has already said that parents should get medical advice before letting children watch 3D content on the PlayStation. Toshiba has said parents should keep an eye on children watching its TVs that can display 3D images without needing glasses.

The companies have also warned that watching too much 3D content can cause adults discomfort.


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