Warning: santa spoilers ahead.
I don’t lie. I’m not good at it and I don’t like to do it. Who came up with this big idea to lie to our children about some dude who brings toys and then peer pressured every parent into playing along? It’s sick. SICK, I tell you.
“How does Santa fit down the chimney?” “How does Santa go all over the world in one night?” “How does Santa see what we do all day and when we’re sleeping and stuff. Does he have, like, tons of computers and lots of hidden cameras and stuff?” “Does Santa only eat cookies and milk, or does he eat other stuff, too?”
Seriously, people, I’m all out of “hmmm” ’s and shrugs and “what do you think”’s.
They have started comparing believing in Santa to believing in Jesus and God. I’m sorry, but that’s just WRONG. I had to set them straight with that one.
The other day on my way out of the bank I saw Santa driving down the street in a charcoal Toyota pick-up. He didn’t even look happy, just annoyed.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
I totally know how you feel! I always have santa guilt, along with the easter bunny, and the tooth fairy. However, having said that, there can be some beneficial things to Santa, like the fact that he's watching you, and you had better behave sort of thing.. And magic is always a good way to explain how he does it.. "it's Santa magic.." That usually satisfies my kids!
Amen, sista!! I didn't even teach my kids about Santa till Koby was like 4. I felt like, what's the point? I'm gonna teach them about Santa and then spend the rest of the next decade trying to get them to not think about him and think about Jesus instead? I caved to parental peer pressure {people were saying I was so mean not to tell them about Santa} so they still "believe", but every year I have to fight to not let the cat out of the bag! This just might be the year...
I'm with you...I mostly avoid answering and then when I am trapped I say things like "Santa teaches us that it is good to give at Christmas...and "Santa represents giving and charity" yadda yadda yadda.
This is the first year Ethan has asked questions about Santa and I end up saying "I don't know" "I think so" etc. Sometimes I have to go as far as making something up. But I too hate doing it. I feel like I'm blatantly lying to my kid. Its not right.
Yeah, I agree with you. We've not made a big deal about Santa at our house, but you can't help but see him everywhere. We went to a Christmas party with my in-laws and they took my 3 year old daughter to sit on Santa's lap and he asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she had no idea what he was talking about!:)
This was my response on another Blog that had the same dilemma...
This came up last Christmas with my 7 year old. She asked and I very lovingly told her the truth. She had a good cry and then it was like the heavens opened and she had in her possesion all the secrets of the universe. She now knew something that others did not. She knows the truth but she still has fun believing he is real-especially around her 5 year old brother who still believes. My 11 year old never asked so I didn't tell him. He just found out last year and I asked him if he would have rather known or not. He said he was glad he believed and PS-it didn't make him doubt about Jesus-Whew!
My opinion is, if they ask, you tell them the truth. If they don't ask you don't reveal and they'll figure it out on their own. If you tell them, just be prepared for some tears but at least they'll know they can always count on you for the truth.
I feel the same way. In fact, I remember writing a very similar post a year or two ago. Thankfully the topic hasn't come up this season... yet. Maybe we'll institute a "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding Santa in our home. ;)
I have a question/request for you. Could you email me at suziepetunia at gmail dot com? Thanks! I can't find your email address. I must not have it.
Oh my gosh! My friend and I were just talking about this. We both have 10 month olds and were deciding if we should tell them the truth about Santa. We were both against lying to our kids. Plus, why should someone make belive get all the credit for all your hard Christmas shopping?
Okay, you're all taking this too seriously. I'm with EmmaJO and Calibosmom. I tell my kids that Santa is there to remind us what Christmas is all about - the giving and the Savior. And we don't make a big deal about it. My kids hardly ever bring up Santa at all. My 3-year-old and I saw him at the mall the other day just sitting there waiting for another kid to take a picture with him. Cole kinda looked and then shrugged. No big deal.
Are you going to tell them that when we die we get buried in a casket 6 feet under OR how about that for some people life is horrible and they kill themselves to get away from it all?
There's so little magic left in today's world. So little imagination and just "wishing on a star". They're kids. Let them dream. Give them their happy ending where Santa is real and lives at the North Pole with elves and such. Most kids in the world would give ANYTHING to be in a nice warm bed dreaming of Santa coming to bring them presents. I guess you guys will just have to "SUFFER" through it.
Now I'm climbing off my soap box and going to bed.
Love ya!
LC
What a bunch of humbugs! Sounds like you all got ugly socks for Christmas for twelve years in a row.
Christmas is cool … Christmas is fun … Christmas is the highlight of the kid-year.
Fantasy … it is wonderful. Lots of imagination, lots of thoughtfulness, lots of good will and Santa is right in the middle of it.
It doesn’t mean that you have to go buy out the toy store to have a great Christmas … isn’t it a wonderful activity to think enough about your family, your neighbors, your community to want to share something of yourself with others? Of course it is … and Santa is the main man. He has been assigned the task and given the ability to reach every soul from the North Pole south to bring a sense of warmth and spirit of good will.
Is any of this tied to religion … obliquely I suppose that it is. Charity, giving is a tenant of the Christian faith. The fact that we celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th with gifts is in similitude of the gifts presented by the Wise Men. We weren’t there for the occasion, but we can feel the same sense of wonder through our giving something that is personal.
It's a personal choice. Whatever choice you make, I don't think it's going to harm your children. But why on earth are we in such a hurry to take away the innocence and magic that exists in childhood? If we are still teaching our children about the birth of the savior and the real meaning of Christmas. Use your imaginations; let them have their fantasies.
While most of the fantasy people, like Cinderella, Snow white, Belle (and a host of other Disney characters) generally provide a moral, Santa is interactive … he touches each child right square in the imagination. It is all wonder, yes, a little magic … and, alas, it only lasts for a few short years before somebody blabs and then we are truly into giving underwear and socks. Let the kids have a little magic for awhile!
I too will step off my soapbox now!
I still love you, Britt!
amye
Wow, passions indeed????
ok, i realize that i've TOTALLY missed out on this convo... but i can't help but comment! here's a link to a great post about the jesus/santa conflict http://wheeallthewayhome.blogspot.com/2007/12/now-im-seen-it-all-haiku-friday.html
i commented there, but i'll put it here for you too: ***... is it so wrong that we don't even do santa in our house? my kids know who he is but i just can't bring myself to lie to my kids like that. i know, i'm a total scrooge!
here's my beef with santa (because it's late, i can't sleep, and this whole subject gets my panties in a tizzy):
1) i don't like the idea of having my children sit on some strange old man's lap. who ARE these guys?
2) i don't like the idea that once a year it's completely ok to let a stranger into the house...in fact, let's leave him cookies! i don't let my kids answer the door if it's someone they don't know...
3)maybe i'm just selfish (probably), but if i have to hoof it to three different stores, beat some other woman off the toy i want... i want the credit for giving the gift!
4) i think that santa-christmas can cause greed in children. last year we gave half of their christmas money to www.sendacow.org they LOVED the idea of buying fruit trees for people.
5) i like christmas to be about christ and the gift of his atonement.***
for me the whole santa debate is easy. i didn't grow up with santa, my parents never did it. so why would I then turn and lie to my children?
but we have had to have a serious discussion with our oldest about never discussing santa with other children who believe. *it would be rude,* is how we phrased it to her.
hope you were able to find the magic of christmas anyway!!!
Post a Comment