Santa!?!?! I hate the lie!

ShellyBell999

Try telling NORAD that Santa doesn't exist. They are tracking him by GPS!!!

http://www.noradsanta.org/

It's a conspiracy I tell you!

With U.S.Military escorts :noway:
Another waste of tax payer money

Yeah, but can you see the types of neighbourhoods he has to deliver to though?

He can't go in there without a bulletproof vest at least!

Good point........

emirror

This "Reason for the Season" Is suppose to be about the celebration of the birth of Christ. The presents are a representation of the gifts that were given by the three wisemen and other visitors that came to witness the birth.

It was not until the Pagan holiday came about and was introduced that "Santa" came into the picture and that is when things got out of control.

The Pagans shot first.

jofjltncb6

Santa's not real?

Seriously...santa helps teach children about unconditional giving, and that's a good life lesson.

Unconditional giving, huh?

Looks like someone is forgetting that whole "naughty or nice" list.

twixlepennie

So my oldest is 3 and asked me about Santa and Christmas. I told him the basic crap that everyone spews and I hate myself for it! Wh does he need to believe in Santa just to have it crushed later in life? Why set them up for disappointment later in life. Am I a bad mom because I don't want to perpetuate this myth?

Thoughts please.

We don't do Santa or any of the other things (Easter bunny, tooth fairy etc). I don't have fond memories of these things as a child, so I haven't carried any of those traditions on to my kids. To me Santa brings back memories of my drunk grandpa showing up at a Christmas get together uninvited, dressed up like Santa, and being arrested (multiple times) :grumble:

I don't even like to put up a tree, but my husband is big on going out and cutting one down/decorating it, so I go along with it. I do candy cane seeds though-first snow of the year we go out and 'plant' candy cane seeds (those red star mints). Then the next morning the kids go out and find candy canes (that I went out early and froze my bum off putting in the ground ). My 9 yr old still thinks that's how candy canes are made lol. That's about as festive as I get during the holidays

dbmata

Let your kids be kids, let them believe in the magic of Christmas! They'll grow up and be dissapointed a whole lot with life in general, let them enjoy their childhood while they can

I'm a grown *kitten* adult and I still love the magic of Christmas.

Is some flying elf actually being tracked by NORAD each year? Naw, but the moment he steps out of line we're taking him down, and bringing democracy to the north pole after liberating their elf slaves.

rml_16

It was not until the Pagan holiday came about and was introduced that "Santa" came into the picture and that is when things got out of control.

Santa is not a pagan symbol. The tree is. Santa is not.

And the pagan holiday existed for thousands of years before the birth of Christ.

neandermagnon

We're atheist, so we don't teach our kids that any gods are real.

Because, you know, Santa fits the definition of a god. As does the easter bunny, and tooth fairy.

We don't do any of the lies, not Santa, easter bunny, various religions, none of it.

I've told her the tooth fairy isn't real, either. I still leave money for her under her pillow, and she knows I am the one who does it, but we like to pretend that I am the tooth fairy.

My parents are atheists. They told me about Santa and the tooth fairy. They even told me the tooth fairy uses the teeth to make little tiny fairy piano keys. They didn't do the Easter bunny though. No idea what they had against the Easter bunny.

I don't think those kinds of things harm kids, and I wouldn't put them in the same category as gods either. No-one worships Santa or the Easter bunny or the tooth fairy. But people worship Thor and Odin.

BlueBombers

Kids are only small for a short time....I say let them believe in the magic of Santa. Nothing beats seeing how excited they when they go see Santa in the mall, or when they write him a letter, or when they leave him milk and cookies on Christmas Eve or when they get to open Santa's gifts on Christmas morning. Let them be kids.

I myself believed in Santa as a child and I wasn't scarred for life as a result of finding out Santa was really my mom and dad.

MizTerry

The spirit of St. Nicholas is very much alive.

ellantz8

I didn't want to do Santa with my first, but did after awhile everyone convinced me I should. I am very glad I did. She loved Christmas and the magic of Santa, and when she was older we explained everything to her. She started questioning Santa at 6 and at 8 we told her the story of St. Nick. She was not crushed to learn the truth and now helps be Santa for her little brother.

I debated when I had my daughter too on whether or not to do the whole Santa thing. I have this absolute honesty with her that I never lie, I have through the years had to explain things in terms that were age appropriate, but I don't lie. My daughter loves the idea of Santa and I don't want to take that away from her. She doesn't believe in the Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy because she has point blank asked me about them and I won't lie, but Santa she holds on to. I've managed to skirt her questions with asking her what she thinks and she comes to the conclusion on her own that there is a Santa. I have never personally told her that there is or isn't a Santa though. But I do wrap and sign presents with his name every year, so I guess I'm still lying by doing that. Honestly this is probably the last year she will believe and it does make me a little sad. A little less magic in her heart

waltcote

Lucky all these "people" on this internet are not real!! :laugh:

MinMin97

Let's be clear, I said protecting children from the truth isn't necessarily lying.

Let me ask you this....

If your parents would have gotten divorced when you were 3 years old cause your dad banged his secretary, and you asked your mother why they got divorced. Would you expect them to tell you "Because daddy banged the secretary?"

If your parents got divorced and you were told "Your father died....that's why he's not here." That would be a lie. How a parent explains the divorce based on adultery is going to vary, but a child can understand unfaithfulness without being given inappropriate details.
If you tell your child about the historical origin of Santa, that would be truthful. If you tell him Santa is going to show up on a flying sleigh and slide down your chimney, etc, that would not be the truth.
Why do I feel that you already know this?

I do know what you are saying, and agree, however, the first is still a lie in my opinion. My annoyance comes in when someone starts laying out blanket statements about "You always have to tell the truth" to your children. "Never lie!!!". Omitting truths is still lying.

Yes, you always have to tell the truth.
Yes, if you have omitted the truth, you have not told the truth. But as the in the adultery example, age-appropriate details still convey the truth, with no lie told, and the child has a correct understanding.

WendyTerry420

My boys are 9 and 12 and I'm still not in a hurry to remove "Santa" from their holiday. It seems like there is very little magic left in society. The joy of Christmas (the Santa part) is something our whole family enjoys. It's a way to give the boys a surprise and something to look forward to. When they are ready to be done with it then we can give it up. Santa still occasionally leaves gifts for me at my parents' house.

I wish magic was real. That would be very cool.

_Calypso_

1. So it's okay to teach your child it's okay lie? - It in no way taught tme that lying was OK. When I found out about Santa, it was really jus like a game had ended. Oh well, a new one starts.
2. You expect your child to trust you? - Irrelevant, unless you accept the idea that children will resent the " lie " you tld them about Santa and perceive it as such.
3. Why not just teach them the truth, It;s about GOD - Unless you're an Atheist / Buddhist / Humanist etc who just enjoys the season, sense of family and togetherness, without recourse to making it a religious festival.
4. A creepy fat guy watching us all year long, then coming down our chimney eating our food and leaving. CREEPY! (and what if you don't have a chimney) - How but a big beard in the sky who watches us all the way through our lives and then decides when we die if we get to live in a nice house in the clouds or in a lake of fire?
5. It's bribery, if you were are a good parent you wouldn't need to use gifts as a way to get your child to behave all year long. - Not toomany parents peddle the Santa's watching thing in Jan / Feb / March etc.. But " God's wacing you…."
6. I work to give my child those girts, why let some imaginary guy get the credit for my hard work and time. - Surely Pride is one of the 7 Deadly Sins? Lighten up, Christmas isn't about you is it?
7. it's NOT the reason for the season. - No, we've established that the Winter Solstice celebration predates Santa ( and Christianity ) by thousands of years.
8. It's makes it all about getting gifts, instead of giving them. - You were us moaning that you didn't want someone else taking the credit. Varying levels of selfishness?
9. How do you explain to your kid that Santa was in that store, but somehow is in the very next you also? - Magic, or maybe you could cal it a "Miracle". Personally, I was told that there were loads of Santas all working for the Big Santa and who all wanted to be THE Santa one day.
10. If your feeling bad about it it, maybe that's continence trying to tell you something. - I don't know what this means.
11. my lil girl doesn't believe in it and she have never gotten picked on , i have a feeling thats YOUR OWN fear, projecting into your child's life, bc just maybe they don't just "go with the flow". - I'm glad you litle girl has never been picked on. Sincerely.
12. I would hate to be you on judgment day, trying to explain why you gave some made up guy the glory in time the was dedicated to God. - Thankfully, that's not a problem you'l have to face, so you needn't be concerned. But wy would we have to explain anyway? God is Omniscient, he knows why we do the things we do, I can't imaine he'll turn up to take interviews.
13. it does not deprive them of anything by not telling them a LIE. it teaches them gratitude for the hard work you put into giving them gifts, - It really is all about you taking the props isn't it?
14. how old is that guy anyway?!?!?!? - Hundreds of years old, hard to believe isn't it. Not like that eminently acceptable vigin birth, immaculate conception and resurrection stuff!
15. you dont t3ell your child that the Disney characters are real, why would you tell them santa is real?
i know i came off harsh, but it was all said in love. - We don't rally go out of our way to tel kids they'e ot either do we? I know you love The Little Mermaid, but you know what Sweetie DISNEY IS LYING TO YOU. HE HATES YOU AND THINkS YOU'RE GULLIBLE.
Please don't take this badly, it comes from a place of love.

:drinker: :drinker:

DainaLC

This "Reason for the Season" Is suppose to be about the celebration of the birth of Christ. The presents are a representation of the gifts that were given by the three wisemen and other visitors that came to witness the birth.

It was not until the Pagan holiday came about and was introduced that "Santa" came into the picture and that is when things got out of control.

The Pagans shot first.

The Pagans invented Santa...never heard that one before?!

usmcmp

What this really boils down to is how you teach your children about life. Is it ok to lie to anyone, no, absolutely not. But lets face it, we all do it to some degree every day. If you say you don't, then that is a lie in itself.

This "Reason for the Season" Is suppose to be about the celebration of the birth of Christ. The presents are a representation of the gifts that were given by the three wisemen and other visitors that came to witness the birth.

It was not until the Pagan holiday came about and was introduced that "Santa" came into the picture and that is when things got out of control.

You obviously have the right to teach you child/children what you want based on what you believe. But I know a lot of dedicated Christian families that celebrate Christmas both ways (including mine) and when their kids got older they and found out that Santa did not exist they were not devastated or disappointed. They came out just fine and understood that Santa was just for fun.

Just don't give into that whole "Elf on s Shelf" thing. That is creepy and stupid.

Did you know December 25 was the concluding day of the pagan winter festival called the "Saturnalia" long before Jesus's birth? Based on historical records Jesus would have been born between June 16th and June 22nd. December 25th was pagan long before it started as a Christian holiday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/judith-lewis/christmas---ancient-pagan-holiday-which-was-criminally-illegal-until-1907_b_2350974.html

dinosnopro

So my oldest is 3 and asked me about Santa and Christmas. I told him the basic crap that everyone spews and I hate myself for it! Wh does he need to believe in Santa just to have it crushed later in life? Why set them up for disappointment later in life. Am I a bad mom because I don't want to perpetuate this myth?

Thoughts please.

Wait????..... Santa is not real? Next your going to tell me there was no princess and no pea either...pppffttt. I will let my kids have a bit of an imagination, for a while yet anyway.

katdow87

nah, it's about hard work, not me. that was the point anyway. people are getting to be more and more lazy, and just wanting hand outs.....i believe she should know the meaning of hard work, not just the "give me mentality" also, i understand others believe in different gods, i respect that. but wouldn't they want the credit then?
And as for my lil one, yes she has gotten picked on, just not about that.

smelius22

I'm pretty sure I never went through a depressing disappointed phase at age 10 when I figured out Santa wasn't real. People put too much thought into crap like this these days. I had a childhood with the tooth fairy, santa, easter bunny.. none of it scarred me for life or disappointed me. one day I just stopped believing in them and my life went on. simple as that.

WendyTerry420

Sometimes being a good parent means lying to them.

My kids still believe. I love that Christmas is magical to them. Believing in santa doesn't mean you don’t teach them the meaning of Christmas though.

Another crock!


Love = honesty

Disagree! There are adult things that children should NOT be exposed to. I believe lying is at times necessary to protect them.

Protecting little ones is NOT the same as telling them lies. Don't be absurd.

Semantics! Lying by omission is still a lie and although we are friends I think you are being extremely judgmental, condescending and frankly you are being absurd.

I'm not trying to be judgmental. The Santa Myth is one of my biggest pet peeves. In this, I am the "Annoying Atheist." Sorry.

ETA: I was originally playing "White Knight" to the OP because everyone was crapping on her. I know how that feels.