Santa!?!?! I hate the lie!

Cranquistador

Tell him the truth. My mom did, and I learned to appreciate Christmas for the family time and spirit of generosity. I'm going to do the same for mine.

So true! My kids understand and appreciate Christmas, whereas the ones that get told the Santa lie, end up believing that Christmas is all about presents.

This is a horrible thing to say. and not true.

CassandraBurgos83

Being a mom of 2, a 10 yr old girl (who truly stills believes and a 2 yr old boy who doesn't really understand yet) I have mixed thoughts on this. Christmas isn't about Presents and a Big Jolly sweet heart loading them up with gifts it's about Christ, hence "Christ"mas. I wish I would have told them the truth because now even though they know, well my daughter knows why we celebrate it she is still more consumed with her Christmas wish list and the Jolly guy then the true meaning. If I could go back and change things I would have told them the truth and given them 3 gifts representing how the Wise Men gave Jesus 3 gifts.
Santa is a sweet idea and I grew up loving that man, but in the end he isn't the reason for the season or why I and my children and family are here.

WendyTerry420

Why not let them enjoy the fantasy? Its fun and exciting. I personally think parents opposed to the myth are being selfish because they aren't getting the credit for gift giving.

You can appreciate fantasy without tricking kids into thinking it's real. I love LOTR and the Sword of Truth series, etc. Love, love, love fantasy fiction. Knowing that it's fiction and not reality does not destroy the enjoyment of a good book or film.

JennyLisT

I was never taught to believe Santa was real and I enjoyed every single Christmas. More important that they learn about the real meaning of CHRISTmas at a young age.

Only if you're Christian.

Atheist here. Favorite holiday is Christmas. I like it for the family, mom's homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning (accompanied by hot chocolate), and Christmas movies. No Santa or religion necessary for me to look forward to Christmas every single year.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I still believe in Santa. Way to bring me down, man. Way to bring me down.

Hi CupcakeDammit!

Sorry for your loss.

Hi Mister Universe! Thanks for being so supportive. :flowerforyou:

MinMin97

Children don't need the Santa thing to be happy at Christmas time. How 'bout if you do a little study with him on the actual history of why this is celebrated as a holiday???
Also, this is a time when we can think about the NEEDS OF OTHERS and find ways to serve. Like to help at a homeless shelter, or visit a nursing home, or find an organized humanitarian group that is serving in your area.
Also, make some family traditions based on the truth: the birth of Christ and His significance, the love of family, helping others, winter fun, etc.
Don't lie to your child. Do you want him to lie to you? Teach him good character and truth.
God bless you and your family!

iamanadult

There are more foreign kids than not in my kids school so they all told her it's made up just like god. I told her that they were all on the naughty list and Santa doesn't visit them.

doorki

Educative,, I love it. Was thinking the same thing myself. But believing in Santa Claus is sacrilege if you are Christian. Just food for thought (the no calorie kind).

So no Christmas trees in your house, eh?

usmcmp

I've told my kids the truth from the beginning. They are 4 and 5. We still have awesome holidays and I don't feel guilty for carrying on a lie. I simply hate lying.

I've told them the variety of reasons people celebrate at Christmas (Winter Solstice, Jesus birth, Hanukkah, etc.) and I do the same for every time we celebrate something. I want them to grow up with a wide variety of knowledge and the feeling that they can ask me anything while getting a fairly unbiased answer.

Hornsby

I was never taught to believe Santa was real and I enjoyed every single Christmas. More important that they learn about the real meaning of Xmas at a young age.

LMFTFY

So nothing helpful to add?

Not sure what else is needed for that point....so no? lol

JennyLisT

There are more foreign kids than not in my kids school so they all told her it's made up just like god. I told her that they were all on the naughty list and Santa doesn't visit them.

Shun the nonbelievers! Shun!

kellenas

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/

Interesting read

beachlover317

I believed in Santa for years. Never EVER felt "betrayed" by my parents. People really need to lighten up a little on all this serious parenting stuff.

My only problem with the Santa story is that as a teacher, children never understand why "Santa" is so good to some children and so skimpy with others - especially if these children felt like they had been good all year. While I can explain a lot about Santa, that one is really difficult to justify.

jkowula

God, life is too short! Just have some fun. Don't take everything so damn seriously... We have this stupid elf thing in our house, we move it around and my 5 and 6 year old are in love with this damn thing. I think my daughter pretty much knows it doesn't move on its own, but man they are excited to see where it ends up. Lighten the hell up.. If you really don't want to lie to them how about on Christmas eve you sit them down and fill them in on religion, war, famine, genocide, at least you wouldn't be lying to them. People are such buzzkills!

ironanimal

I was never taught to believe Santa was real and I enjoyed every single Christmas. More important that they learn about the real meaning of CHRISTmas at a young age.

Only if you're Christian.

Atheist here. Favorite holiday is Christmas. I like it for the family, mom's homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning (accompanied by hot chocolate), and Christmas movies. No Santa or religion necessary for me to look forward to Christmas every single year.

I'm of a similar opinion, but Santa was a little bonus to believe in when I was younger.

Oh and I hate Christmas movies

rml_16

Tell him the truth. My mom did, and I learned to appreciate Christmas for the family time and spirit of generosity. I'm going to do the same for mine.

So true! My kids understand and appreciate Christmas, whereas the ones that get told the Santa lie, end up believing that Christmas is all about presents.

Is that so?

beachlover317

There are more foreign kids than not in my kids school so they all told her it's made up just like god. I told her that they were all on the naughty list and Santa doesn't visit them.

I truly hope that your sarcasm font is just malfunctioning. Your explanation to your children is in direct contrast to your profile name.

WeepingAngel81

If it makes you feel better to tell him the truth then do so. Stand by your convictions as a parent. However, make sure he also understands that there are kids out there that do believe and that it's not ok to make fun of them or take it away from them.

Growing up, my parents never told us santa wasn't real. We just figured it out. Even after my sisters and I caught on, my parents still played santa every year. It became a fun tradition and a good way for my parents to sleep in! Santa left un wrapped gifts out for us in a little pile on the couch or chair. My sisters and I would wake early and sort through all of our santa gifts (usually one "big" gift then smaller things like hair ties or callendars). Even when I went off to college my parents continued with santa, and my sisters and I would leave beer and pretzles for dad rather than milk and cookies

Now that I have kids, I enjoy seeing their imaginations grow. Santa can be an excellent learning tool to talk about giving and being kind to others. My daughter is 8 and kids her age are figuring it out, but she hasn't asked if he is real or not. If she does I plan on reading her this letter another mom wrote to her daughter:

Dear Lucy,

Thank you for your letter. You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”

I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.

The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.

I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)

I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.

This won’t make you Santa, though.

Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.

It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.

Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.

With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.

So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.

I love you and I always will.

Mama

MinMin97

God, life is too short! Just have some fun. Don't take everything so damn seriously... We have this stupid elf thing in our house, we move it around and my 5 and 6 year old are in love with this damn thing. I think my daughter pretty much knows it doesn't move on its own, but man they are excited to see where it ends up. Lighten the hell up.. If you really don't want to lie to them how about on Christmas eve you sit them down and fill them in on religion, war, famine, genocide, at least you wouldn't be lying to them. People are such buzzkills!

So the "other" option from telling him that Santa is real is to "fill them in on religion, war, famine, genocide, at least you wouldn't be lying to them"??? Who needs to lighten up?

homerjspartan

OK everyone huddle up.

We are going run the "parent your own kids however the f#*k you want" option on 3.

Ready. Break.