finding it cute to see one's children believing ridiculous things

I personally find it horrifying that almost no one finds this in particular horrifying. Bestowing ridiculous (and possibly harmful) beliefs on one's children for one's own amusement strikes me as the sort of moral violation that is a mild step in the direction of Mind Rape (which I happen to think is worse than the other kind).

I was lucky and my parents never told me any of the Traditional Lies growing up, so I've only encountered this from the outside. I don't know if that's made me more or less sensitive to the practice, but I can't help but compare toying with a child's mind for your own amusement/convenience in that way to other sorts of abuse.