Ancient crocodile. Ancient crocodiles, prehistoric crocodile
Texas history teacher Leslie Rush wrote about how her family has been telling the truth about Santa Claus for generations.
– When a child is six or seven years old and you notice his first doubts about the existence of Santa, that means he is ready. I usually take them to a cafe and, after placing an order, make a speech: “You, of course, have grown a lot this year. And not only did I get taller, I see that your heart got bigger too.”
(Here I give two or three examples of compassion, attention to the feelings of other people, and good deeds of a child over the past year).
“In fact, you've grown so much that you could become Santa Claus yourself. You may have noticed that most of the Santa Clauses you see are people dressed up as one. Some of your friends might have told you that he doesn't exist at all. Many children think this way because they are not ready to be Santa yet. But you're ready.
Tell me the best thing about Santa. What does he get in exchange for his efforts? (Travel the child's attention from the "cookies" that are left for Santa's arrival to the feeling of satisfaction of having done something for others). Now you're ready for your first job as Santa!"
Ask your child to choose a person - for example, a neighbor. The child's mission is to secretly find out what this person needs and then provide it to him, wrap it in gift paper and deliver it. And never reveal that he did it. Being Santa isn't about receiving approval—it's about giving unselfishly.
My eldest son chose “Aunt Witch” who lives on the corner. The woman really inspired fear: there was a fence around her house and she never allowed children to go behind it to play ball or frisbee. She often shouted for the children to play quietly and all that stuff. On the way to school, my son noticed that every morning she went out onto the porch to pick up the mail barefoot - and decided that she needed slippers. So he had to be a spy and hide in the bushes to find out the approximate size of her feet.
When we bought her warm slippers, he wrapped them up and put “Merry Christmas from Santa” on the top. One evening after dinner, he went to her house and placed a gift under her door. The next morning we watched her go out onto the porch, pick up the packaging and go into the house. My son was beside himself with anticipation to find out what would happen next. And the next morning we saw her - picking up the mail in warm slippers. The son was euphoric. I had to remind him that NO ONE should ever know that he did it - otherwise he wouldn't be Santa anymore.
Over the next few years, he chose many people to give gifts to and always chose a unique, personalized gift for them. One year, he thoroughly cleaned his bicycle, changed the saddle on it, and gave it to the daughter of one of our friends. These people were very poor. We asked the girl's father how appropriate this would be. The expression on the girl’s face when she saw a bicycle near her house could only be compared with the expression of joy on my son’s face.
When it's time to tell everything youngest son, the elder wanted to talk to him himself. Now they are both great “givers” and have never felt like they lied to anyone. After all, they were told the secret of how to be Santa.
Leslie Rush
Source in English:
British psychologists assure: stories about Santa Claus are harmful to children. Like, one day the children will understand that their parents lied to them about the magical old man. This means you shouldn’t trust your parents one bit. Including how ancestors interpret good and evil, what is possible and what is not... In general, the life of a teenager from this moment on will go to hell.
True, generation after generation grew out of Christmas tales even before this discovery by British scientists. Personally, I have never heard a pitiful story: “At the age of 10, I found out that Santa Claus does not exist and my father and mother lied to me. What could I do if my loved ones betrayed me? I went to rob stores..."
At the same time, cries from the heart appear every now and then on women’s forums: “How can you lie to a child?! I’ll give birth to my own, I won’t participate in this hysteria with fake grandfathers with cotton beards!”
Not a lie, but a fairy tale
- Should we lie to children that Santa Claus exists?
First and foremost: you are not lying. You share with your child a fairy tale about a good wizard. When a child believes in her, this is very correct and important. He develops trust in a just world, where good children will receive what they deserve. Of course, as we grow up, we stop believing in fairy tales literally. But openness to the world and faith in miracles, as they say, are already hardwired into us adults. And in heavy life situations, from which there seems to be no way out, it is this deep-seated belief in a miracle that makes you not give up, not to despair. And, as a rule, there is a way out.
Secondly, you shouldn’t outright lie about Santa Claus. What do I call a lie? When an 8-year-old child asks you: “Why does Santa Claus have boots like dad? I’m not little anymore, I know that Santa Claus doesn’t exist!” - answer: “What are you, it seemed to you. Look, look, he flashed on a sleigh! Oh, he’s already disappeared around the bend...”
- So, maybe we should tell the truth right away?
Belief in miracles, fairy tales, and not just New Year's ones, is a normal stage of child development. If he reveals the truth when he is not yet ready for it, in adulthood this can come back to haunt him with problems with trust and the desire to control everything. The thing is unpleasant: it is more difficult for such people to be happy. For example, they take on a huge burden - after all, those around them probably won’t do it right!
Eat simple formula: As long as the child himself wants to believe in the legend of a magical grandfather, it must be supported. But when he outgrows the fairy tale, and this inevitably will happen, leave it in the past.
For a bunch of gifts
- Until what age is it normal to believe in this wizard?
There is no clear answer. Children are different and develop differently. There are little skeptics who, even at the age of five, spend the entire matinee trying to guess who is hiding behind the fake beard. There are those who, at the age of 10-11, realizing that they are greeted by costumed actors at Christmas trees, still believe in the existence of some invisible wizard. But usually to adolescence Santa Claus becomes a clearly understood fairy tale for children.
At the age of five, by the way, parents should support the fairy tale with a legend about the fact that, of course, there is an actor at the matinee. After all, the real Grandfather simply does not have time to visit every kindergarten and every child. So he recruited human assistants. But there is no need to deceive teenagers. Otherwise, you can get the conflict that British psychologists wrote about: “Oh, you all lied to me!”
- What to do if a child supports a legend for the sake of expensive gifts?
Well, that’s why you are adults, to stop such manipulations from the height of your experience! If you are not sure that the child knows everything, but the gadget you wished for is clearly beyond your means, warn that Santa Claus, of course, carefully reads the letters sent to him. But he prepares gifts according to his own understanding. Like, a wizard is not an order table.
- And if the cunning child demands double set gifts - from parents and Santa Claus?
Explain: “Santa Claus brings gifts only to those who expect them from him. He doesn’t give anything to those whose parents buy gifts.” Will the little blood be upset? Maybe. But he will feel the boundary beyond which there is no need to go. It is easier to live with such boundaries for both children (they feel calmer knowing that there are limits to what is permitted) and adults.
What if you don't deserve it?
- If a child behaves badly, should I give gifts?
Necessarily! Santa Claus is not in vain good wizard- with his kindness and ability to accept children no matter what they are, he is able to melt even the most hardened heart. The child must develop the confidence that he is valuable in himself, regardless of his behavior. Therefore there must be a gift. And without reservations: if you don’t obey, we’ll take you away.
Someone will say: “How is it possible, who can be raised in this way? Only a complete egoist!” But in fact, it is much more important who grows up if confidence in their worth has not arisen. And in this case, women and men grow up to be pushed around by everyone around them, from household members to bosses. Dependent on the opinions of others. After all, if a person does not value himself, one should not expect the same from strangers.
BY THE WAY
What to put in the bag
Choose a gift modern child, having grown in abundance, is not an easy task. Especially if we are talking about the children of friends or, say, a nephew.
Fortunately, it is now customary to write letters to Santa Claus and state your requests there. This is an excellent tip for parents, and it also slows down the child’s desire to dream about one thing today and another tomorrow.
What if you don’t know for sure? A gift is good if strong people are associated with it positive emotions. Give things that can evoke these emotions. Sets for favorite creativity (if the child has a hobby), dolls or tabletop theaters, Board games- they are now experiencing a real boom. Even if the child is slightly disappointed, the situation can be turned around by joining the game with him and having a lot of fun.
TO THE POINT
Seven signs of a real Santa Claus
Tips from Komsomolskaya Pravda on what an ideal New Year's wizard should be
Everything fake, unreal, ugly, be it a Christmas tree or Santa Claus, can easily ruin your favorite holiday. And of course, we want our children to know the traditions and the true image of the Russian wizard, and not the modern symbiosis of Father Frost and the foreign Santa Claus.
December 4th is the day of ordering gifts for Santa Claus all over the world. However, some modern parents believe that their children do not need fairy tales about the good wizard. Psychologist Svetlana Merkulova told why it is so important in at a young age believe in miracles and write letters to Santa Claus.
Faith in miracles
Natalya Kozhina, AiF.ru: Svetlana, is it necessary to tell your child about Santa Claus? Or is this optional?
Svetlana Merkulova: By by and large Parents must decide for themselves how to answer this question. After all, each of us has our own experience behind us. Perhaps it was painful for someone in childhood to learn that Santa Claus does not exist. Naturally, he does not want his child to experience something like this, and therefore does not give him false hopes. But in this case, you are not acting in the interests of the child, but in the interests of yourself, the one who once faced disappointment. Children also have the right to own experience. And it doesn’t always have to be the same as that of the parents.
As a psychologist, I will say that until the age of 7, children live through the so-called mythological phase. In my opinion, it is not worth depriving a child of faith in miracles, because it is during this period that he begins to active development imagination and creativity.
— Is it possible to say that children who are not told about Santa Claus will have a poorly developed imagination?
“Children who are deprived of the experience of relationships with fairy tales and miracles will grow into adults who turn more to the mind, rather than to their feelings. And this is quite natural. In the future, a person will have to live based solely on concrete knowledge, and not on imagination and creativity. When parents give a child the opportunity to meet the world of fantasy, he grows up and becomes more adaptive, flexible person no limits.
The story itself with Santa Claus gives an incredible aftertaste, which is sure to be reflected in people. Have you noticed that there are those who are waiting New Year, rejoices at it, and those who do not understand what the meaning of the holiday is? Most likely, in childhood the latter had a casual attitude towards this holiday.
— If a child begins to suspect that Santa Claus does not exist, should he be convinced of this, or is it better to tell the truth?
“It’s really important to pay attention to the child’s needs. At 7 years old, your child needs a fairy tale. When we are dealing with children aged 9-11 who want confirmation of reality, it is important to give them the opportunity to come out of their belief in the New Year's wizard, without keeping them in a state of ignorance.
For example, a child tries to catch you in a trick and says: “Santa Claus had daddy’s sneakers.” If we are dealing with ages under 5, we can joke: “Wow, grandpa has sneakers like dad.” And if your ten-year-old son sarcastically asks what’s going on, don’t lie, just tell him: “Dad and I wanted to please you.” The reaction of parents directly depends on the age of their child.
— Often the role of Santa Claus is played by dad or one of his friends whom children can easily recognize. Is it possible to try to please your children in this way, or is this an initially disastrous option?
- You need to be prepared for the fact that a child can reveal you. If you are going to take this step, then do it efficiently. So that no one would guess anything. You need to put on good makeup. My son, at the age of four, identified his dad and was simply amazed at our impudence. He really didn’t like that we were trying to slip a fake. I had to say that Santa Claus simply doesn’t have time to visit us. By the way, my son believed in Santa Claus until he was nine years old.
“And then you revealed to him” terrible secret"and they said that Santa Claus does not exist?
- No, he learned this from a friend. In most cases, children grow out of a miracle that only very young children need. At the age of 9-10 they already understand everything perfectly. I simply told my son: “You know, there are people who believe in Santa Claus, and he comes to them, but he doesn’t come to those who don’t believe in him.” That was enough.
— Would you recommend inviting Santa Claus home, or is it better to just put gifts under the tree at night?
- This is very important question. Usually children under 3 years old are afraid of Santa Claus. They need normal faces without beards, red noses and cheeks, and if grandfather brings with him some Baba Yaga, a clown or someone else, then everything can end in tears. Then on family photos a bearded man and your baby will be sitting with a face distorted in horror. As for older children, rely on family traditions: if you have a tradition of active and noisy holidays, then why not. But if you are quiet, closed people, it’s better to do without such guests.
Good tradition
— Many parents love this technique: “If you behave badly, you will be left without gifts.” Should we use this approach?
- This clean water manipulation towards the child. His parents seem to be telling him: “If you behave badly, don’t expect anything good from life. You must be obedient, comfortable, comfortable with us, and then you will receive a reward.” Initially, the story of Santa Claus implies that he brings gifts to good children. Therefore, it is most correct to tell your offspring: “The better you behave, the better Santa Claus will fulfill your wishes.”
But if a child still behaves badly, and you decide to punish him in this way, be sure that he will remember for the rest of his life that day when everyone received gifts, and he was the most bad person in the world - no. In my opinion, a child should still receive gifts on such a day. New Year's Eve, this is a tradition. December 31 is a magical holiday, because it is a kind of transition to new stage life.
- What if you just threaten?
- If you understand that you will still give something for the New Year, then what is the point in such manipulations? They will immediately be devalued. As soon as the child receives this gift, he will think: “Mom threatened me, and Santa Claus thinks that I am behaving normally.” By such actions you simply undermine your parental authority.
— How to react if a child asks for a very expensive gift, and you don’t have the opportunity to buy it?
— Since Santa Claus is a mythical character, you can create your own myths about him. For example: Santa Claus has a certain limit, and he gives gifts within his capabilities. This point can be discussed when you write the letter. And he himself chooses what to give. In any case, the role of Santa Claus is played by the parent, so it is up to him to decide how he will explain the impossibility of buying an expensive gift. Just use your imagination.
“But a child can always say: “Mom, why didn’t they give me a bicycle, but they gave it to Vitalik?”
- In this case, we need to say that Santa Claus has a plan, this time he decided to give Vitalik a gift. I know a case when a boy asked Santa Claus for a laptop, but at that time the family already had 4 computers. Then dad printed out a special letter form from Santa Claus and wrote: “Dear Yura, I read your letter. But you already have four laptops in your house, so I can’t give you another one.” And for the child this situation was not a tragedy. I repeat, a lot depends on the creative approach of the parents.
Sometimes children ask for obviously impossible things: for example, world peace, health for someone, etc. In this situation, it is worth saying that Santa Claus is not omnipotent, he can only fulfill certain desires. The task of parents is not to inflate empty fantasies.
— How important is the ritual of writing a letter to Santa Claus?
— New Year is quite a ritual holiday: we all decorate the tree, decorate the house, give gifts, do major cleaning, etc. A letter to Santa Claus is also one of the rituals, thanks to which parents find out what their child wants to receive for the holiday . You can write it and send it by mail. There are families in which it is customary to leave letters in the freezer or shout through the window about your desire. If the child cannot write, invite him to draw what he wants to receive for the New Year.
In general, writing letters to Santa Claus is useful not only for children, but also for adults, because in the letter we must talk about how this year went, what plans we have for the future. This is a wonderful tradition that unites the whole family!
Crocodiles are one of the most ancient animals. Already millions of years ago they brought fear and horror to the prehistoric inhabitants of the planet. Most big crocodile Sarcosuchus Emperor lived 112 million years ago. Its size is simply amazing! The body length reached 12 meters, and the giant’s mass exceeded 8 tons.
The second birth of this monster begins in 1964 in the Tenere desert, Nigeria. One of the geologists of the French expedition, who described the movement and consequences sandstorm, drew attention to the unusual stones, but upon closer examination it became clear that this was a skull prehistoric monster. Behind big sizes The reptile was given the name Sarcosuchus imperator, which translated from Latin means “fleshy crocodile ruler.”
skull of Sarcosuchus the emperor, length - 1 meter 78 cm
fossilized remains of an ancient monster
Later, two groups of paleontologists were sent to the Sahara, and as a result of the expedition, many remains of Sarcosuchus were discovered. The most worthwhile find was a huge crocodile skull - 1.78 m. The super crocodile's mouth was decorated with large and sharp triangular teeth. The powerful jaws of the predator made it possible to attack not only fish and small creatures, but also more large dinosaurs. At the end of the muzzle there was a bone growth with a small unpaired nostril - a bulla. With its help, the crocodile communicated with its relatives, making hissing and whistling sounds, like gharials.
size comparison: Sarcosuchus Imperator and the Nile crocodile - the largest modern representative of the genus
In addition to Sarcosuchus, other giants were also encountered in the history of crocodylian evolution. Deinosuchus was also distinguished by its impressive size - the mass of the twelve-meter monster exceeded 12 tons. He hunted large animals and did not disdain carrion. Other species can also be considered rivals in size. prehistoric reptiles- Purussaurus, Rhamphosuchus, Gryposuchus. Their size is a little smaller, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous.