I would inform the parents but that depends on their religious beliefs.
Thing is I’m a Christian and I’ve always felt that casting spells and such is a way for satanic and demonic influences to come in. That is why I said before if the kid would have said something like that to a Wiccan they would have probably welcomed it.
Yes, I know most of you will disagree with the above.
No.
The child is twelve. There’s an old saying that if a small child hands you a toy telephone and says it’s for you, you take the call. That old saying is very wise. 12 is not a small child. He can hack being told his spell doesn’t work.
Whether you want to inform the parents is your call I guess. Of course the child is not at risk of “demons” but trying to harm someone, or even joking about it, is inappropriate and unacceptable.
Sure, I’d want to know if it was my kid, but only because I like to know anything that’s important to my kids. Not because I’d assume it was a sign that something terrible was going on in my kid’s life.
Thinking back to that age, there were plenty of times when I and my friends played with the idea that we had various kinds of supernatural powers. Not because any of us were getting molested or physically abused or bullied or anything bad (well, not as far as I know, and in the cases of my close friends I think I would have known). Just because we were that age, and the world is extremely weird when you’re that age, and you’re trying to figure out all the weirdness.
It’s not that I think you should never stray outside the lesson plan. I think it’s really good to have teachers you can talk to about stuff other than the subject they’re teaching you. In your place, if he’d started to talk about worries or ambitions, say, I’d have gone with it. But when it got into belief systems, I’d be out of that conversation. His beliefs aren’t my problem (unless they’re directly dangerous, like if he believed his familiar spirit wanted him to poison the evil chem teacher) and my beliefs aren’t his business. I get the sense Americans are much more in-your-face about their beliefs, so some of this may be cultural, but still.
And to answer someone’s question upthread, yes, I’d say exactly the same if he’d said he could give you a stomachache by the power of Jesus.
OK, here’s MHO: 12 is too old to play along, whether he’s serious or just screwing with you, either way.
So, tell him No stomachache, now time for Scarlatti.
If he ends up wanting to talk about his serious belief that he’s a wizard, I’d give a standard, kind, version of a skeptical short answer (“I haven’t seen anything to make me think there’s magic; particularly once I started understanding how our minds tend to trick us. And I didn’t get a stomachache this week. But you have to decide for yourself”) then get back to Scarlatti.
Maybe pull out the stories about Paganini to get him back to music.
If the kid asks if you had a stomachache, tell him the truth and then let him draw his own conclusions. Don’t lie because it will only encourage him. But only if he persists in saying he has magic powers would I go further than that.
If he just won’t quit with the wizard talk, you might want him to ask him if he believes in Santa . Assuming he says no, point out that Santa and magic are both make-believe stuff. It’s fun to pretend that one has magical powers, but that’s all it is. Pretend. It’s not real and that’s why you didn’t get a stomachache.
It is unlikely he will believe you, but you might plant a seed of doubt.
The OP is ignoring the possibility that he just slept through the stomachache. He should be encouraging his student and using their relationship to guide the boy to use his talents to benefit himself and certain others. If the special powers turn out to be a dud, he still has an impressionable but physically capable kid whose mind runs toward magic that gives people stomachaches. A few well-chosen words about magic potions and the OP would have a first-rate poisoner in his pocket, underage and prepared to confuse the authorities with wild tales about magic powers. We have plenty of weird pre-teens: no reason not to get some mileage out of this one.
I generally don’t think it’s helpful to play along with a kid’s fantasy at that age. There was a kid in my Jr. High who went around claiming to be the ruler of The Comet Empire from Starblazers. It was pretty harmless, but it didn’t do him any favors, either.
So, I say you tell him: “Nope, no stomach ache. I don’t think it works that way. Let’s talk piano.” Keep it short and sweet, but I don’t see any benefit in pretending that such things might work.
I’d tell the parents. What seems like a harmless fantasy could be the onset of adolescent schizophrenia.
StG
I’d recommend this if it happens again, or if he engages in other bizarre, uncharacteristic behavior.
This is funniest thing I’ve read all week.
If it was me, I’d ask him why, if he can cast spells, can’t he cast a spell on himself to learn the piano without lessons? Also, I’d ask why he was in my house. I don’t have a piano and I don’t teach lessons. Also, I hate kids. Get off my property, kid!
I’m not sure what damage you imagine causing the kid and reinforcing delusions is not an act of kindness.