Santa!?!?! I hate the lie!

I wasn't crushed when I realized Santa wasn't real. And as an adult, I still have an active and wonderful imagination.

It isn't a lie any more than playing house as children is a lie. It's pretend and it's fun.

This^^

Were all of you really so traumatized when you realized that Santa was a story just like the cartoons you watched and the books you read? Really?

I was so traumatized I punch every "Santa" I see in the nuts. That's what you get for destroying my innocence with your lies!

To me, "Santa" is the name of the Xmas spirit. I'm not Christian. Christmas is about love, peace, family, happiness, and giving. I actually get mad when people don't want to receive a gift. When my kids ask if Santa is real, it's very real. Santa is inside me and everyone else with the holiday spirit. We track Santa every year on the Norad site. They get Santa gifts with special wrapping paper. I'm pretty sure they know there isn't really a fat guy in a suit breaking into our house at midnight. But they love it and look forward to it all.

And in addition to leaving cookies for Santa, we also leave carrots for the reindeer. If the girls leave a note for Santa, they get a note in return, usually with some kind of elf booger or reindeer print on it.

One of the problems with telling your child that there is no Santa, is that they will spew that out with hate every year to the other children. Why not play along with the fun traditions?

Well according to lots of folks on here, your children are doomed to be liars and thief's, a problem in today's society. How will they ever survive.. and its your fault.. haha

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.

I will never agree with that!

You are in for a tough road ahead then.

Nope, not so tough. My kids are nearly grown, and have told us that they love the fact that they can know that we will always be honest with them. I feel sorry for kids whose parents lie to them for their own convenience. Screw that.

Our teens have an open and honest relationship. Since we have always been honest with them, they are free now to be honest with us, even on tough issues like sex/drugs. Being a liar is no good for long term relationships.

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.

I enjoy it. I like seeing my 4 year old get excited about the magic of Christmas. She's got the rest of her life to grow up and realize how much life can suck. I like letting my kid be a kid.

this

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.

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!

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?

Makes you wonder.

I think a lot of people here are giving this issue way more importance than it deserves. Seriously, people think that telling your kids about Santa is going to mess them up? Putting it in the same category as lying to a child about a parent's death?? FFS. Even if a child's disappointed to find out that Santa's not real, it's not going to mess them up for life. It might help them learn to deal with disappointment. Also, growing up without Santa isn't going to screw your kids up either. I live in a Muslim country and know lots of kids who were raised as Muslims, i.e. *without Santa or Christmas at all* and guess what, they're happy, healthy and have imaginations just like any other kids. Ditto every other non-Christian religion.

So really, just do whatever you think's best for your kids. IMO if you're raising a kid without letting them join in *any* kind of cultural festivities, then the child is missing out (though probably nothing they won't be able to catch up with when they get old enough to make their own decisions) but if it's just a question as to whether you tell your kids the presents came from mum or dad, or whether they came from a magic guy who flew on a sled with reindeer and came down the chimney.... really it's a non-issue!! I can't believe this thread has gone on for so many pages.....

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.

Brilliant! Simply Brilliant!

I think a lot of people here are giving this issue way more importance than it deserves. Seriously, people think that telling your kids about Santa is going to mess them up? Putting it in the same category as lying to a child about a parent's death?? FFS. Even if a child's disappointed to find out that Santa's not real, it's not going to mess them up for life. It might help them learn to deal with disappointment. Also, growing up without Santa isn't going to screw your kids up either. I live in a Muslim country and know lots of kids who were raised as Muslims, i.e. *without Santa or Christmas at all* and guess what, they're happy, healthy and have imaginations just like any other kids. Ditto every other non-Christian religion.

So really, just do whatever you think's best for your kids. IMO if you're raising a kid without letting them join in *any* kind of cultural festivities, then the child is missing out (though probably nothing they won't be able to catch up with when they get old enough to make their own decisions) but if it's just a question as to whether you tell your kids the presents came from mum or dad, or whether they came from a magic guy who flew on a sled with reindeer and came down the chimney.... really it's a non-issue!! I can't believe this thread has gone on for so many pages.....

But it's awesome

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.

We all know that the NFL is the only reality....that's why they make millions for playing a game! :sad:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

The soaring rates of childhood obesity is down to Santa.

Clearly they associate strong positive feelings with a fat bloke to eats all the mince pies and it largely sedentary as he gets his elves and reindeers to do all the work. That can't be good.

Think about it!

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.

I'm Christian and these are very valid arguments :drinker:

ETA: We do the Santa Claus thing and teach about the birth of Christ.

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.

Why? Santa Claus is loosely based on Saint Nicholas that actually existed. I don't do the whole "naughty and nice" thing... But some of my favorite memories are of Christmas and "Santa".... Hell, I still believe in "Santa"... maybe not literally but the spirit of his myth anyway.