Do you tell children that Santa is real?

[Don Penguinoini]

I don't think it's particularly traumatic for a child to find out Santa isn't real.

There must be some seriously concerned parents if they think they will scar their children for life if they find out Santa isn't real.

Is this really a discussion?

Do you let kids on swings? I don't think you should, might fall of and graze their KNEE!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Parents have not only the right, but the obligation, to teach their children the things they believe to be true. You have both the right and the obligation to be honest with your children about what you believe and so do I.

The right? Yes (except in extreme cases). The obligation? I'm not sure... at least not the way you've put it.

There are many things I think are true that I wouldn't think proper to teach a child.

 

[linwood]

And you would be wrong, again.

Care to elaborate?

I think we have all seen the damage that can occur from brainwashing a child with religion and superstition. Give them the TOOLS to work their way out of the mess that YOU created for them? Gee thanks dad!

Wouldn't it be better to have never made the mess in the first place?

You misunderstand (seems to be a recurring problem).

I am not advocating "brainwashing" your child.
I am telling you that a child will emulate the beliefs and ethical system of the adults he/she respects most in the world.
This is usually their parents.
This is unavoidable.

For instance, my 10 year old daughter claims the title of "atheist".
She does this because she holds me in high regard and I claim the title of "atheist".
It does not seem to matter how often I play devils advocate with her concerning the possible existence of a deity she still clings to atheism as her stance on the subject.

To mitigate this influence I teach her to question everything even and especially me and my beliefs.
In doing this it is my hope that one day when she is mature enough to actually analyze what she believes and why she will be able to determine or even create a worldview for herself, one that will allow her to live a satisfying life.

The only way to avoid influencing your children with your beliefs is to literally invalidate them every time they come up.

I don`t believe a parent should have to do such a ridiculous thing.
I don`t believe doing such a ridiculous thing is even healthy for a child.

 

[Requia]

I'd never tell a child the truth about Santa, he's one of the few pieces of true sacred bull most children get exposed too.

(For those not familiar with the concept, sacred bull (or sacred ********) is lies told that will be exposed long after a person starts to believe them, thus teaching the important lesson of not automatically believing what you're told).

 

[Kathryn]

Saint Nicholas was a real person, with an interesting life and story. Santa Claus fictional stories stem from this real man. My kids never got the two confused, but this didn't lessen their enjoyment in the myths of Santa Claus.

In fact, I used to mess with their heads a little by scraping on the roof with a rake on Christmas eve, and ringing little jingly bells outside their window after they went to bed. You should have heard the thumping and whispering in their room when I started doing that!

We also used to leave cookies and milk out for Santa each Christmas eve. No, my kids didn't really believe in him, but we all enjoyed the sweet silliness of it all.

Here's a picture from twenty years ago - my daughters and my dad eyeing the goodies we left out for Santa, when we lived in Germany.

Good times...



I have never felt that the Santa stories took away from the spiritual lessons of Christmas in our house. They just added to the overall joy of the season.

 

[blackout]

Maybe Xmass really is all about
what you do and don't "buy".

It's a 'shiny' mythology frenzy.
People seem to need that.

 

[IAMDONE]

I was very angry to wake one night to find my mother places presents under the tree.
I am still angry.
She says Well, it is what all kids have to believe, it is just a fun thing.
She is stupid, one of the worst things you can do is lie to a kid.
If I had kids I would tell them Santa is fake, Earth is Hell and nobody knows who god really is so look yourself.
Screw humanity.

 

[blackout]

I was very angry to wake one night to find my mother places presents under the tree.
I am still angry.
She says Well, it is what all kids have to believe, it is just a fun thing.
She is stupid, one of the worst things you can do is lie to a kid.
If I had kids I would tell them Santa is fake, Earth is Hell and nobody knows who god really is so look yourself.
Screw humanity.

Hope you don't mind my asking
how old you are?

 

[bobhikes]

Santa is a spirit. Without belief in this spirit there would be no presents for children on christmas day from Santa.

Absolute truth.

Once they tell me they no longer wish to believe, I no longer have to buy gifts.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

It's fun to tell kids things that aren't true, just to find out how gullible the little idiots are.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

In fact, I used to mess with their heads a little by scraping on the roof with a rake on Christmas eve, and ringing little jingly bells outside their window after they went to bed. You should have heard the thumping and whispering in their room when I started doing that!

When we lived in a townhouse, the Dad next door did something like that one year.

To this day, I can't understand the mentality that would lead someone to do that. Telling kids about Santa... maybe. It's not something I'd do myself, but I kinda understand it. But going that far out of your way to sell the lie? I don't get that at all.

 

[Breathe]

I'm not teaching my kids Santa is real, at any cost.

It's something I'm constantly arguing with my family over. They think it's 'sweet' that kids believe in Santa. I however think lying to children is rather tasteless and is a bit of an abuse of the power and trust a child gives. To me, it's teaching kids something you know is not real. I don't know why someone would do that. Religion I can understand as it is something one believes to be true, but to teach someone something that they know is not real seems to come across as rather.. unpleasant if you will.



I have told my children bluntly that Santa is a myth, a story, like the ones in books. I don't mind them having pictures with him. I don't mind the presents, the repeats of shows already on television and so on, but teaching children something that I know is not real is something I can't do and will not, even if it means more arguments with the family. Another thing I object about "Santa" is the deification that he receives. Knowing when people have been good or bad, when they are awake or asleep, bringing them presents as rewards and arguably punishments [the coal] and so on, it's just an imitation of the Abrahamic style God.


Just my two cents.

 

[Debunker]

There has been a lot of discussion on whether telling a child that Santa is real is a horrible thing to do and you shouldn't lie to your children. I know a lot of Christians don't want their children believing in Santa, but I see no problem with it. I believed in him and it did me no harm, I didn't find out the truth and wonder why my parents lied to me - I see it as a magical part of Christmas and being a child, but it doesn't have to take over the true meaning of Christmas. I know churches who include Santa, but also explain it isn't about wanting everything for yourself.

What do you guys tell your children?

I have helped to raise 1000's of children. Never have I observed a child that was entering junior high school that really believed that Santa was real but the children and parents always continued the game into adulthood. Psych-wards are not filled with damaged children who believed in Santa. Until this happens, I for one will continue to enjoy Christmas with Santa.

 

[Kathryn]

When we lived in a townhouse, the Dad next door did something like that one year.

To this day, I can't understand the mentality that would lead someone to do that. Telling kids about Santa... maybe. It's not something I'd do myself, but I kinda understand it. But going that far out of your way to sell the lie? I don't get that at all.

Not sure about that dad you knew, but I think I made it clear in my post that I never lied to my kids about Santa - I always told them that though St Nicholas was a real person and historical figure - a bishop who helped take care of the poor in his diocese - the stories of Santa and the North Pole and reindeer and keeping lists of who's naughty and nice and all that hooey was make believe.

It was all in fun - the food we put out for the reindeer, the little bells, the cookies and milk. They always knew Santa wasn't real and that Mom and Dad bought and wrapped the presents and put them under the tree. In fact, the presents were always under the tree for days and days before Christmas.

 

[EtuMalku]

A Little trivia about the "Real" Santa

ZWOLFTEN - TWELVE NIGHTS of CHRISTMAS
According to Celtic, German, Greek, Roman, and Slavic calendars, a gap in time occurs in midwinter for twelve nights. During these twelve nights, there exists a void between realms, where the dead roam the Earth and he Spirits join together with their devotees.

Known in Germanic as "Zwolften", it was a time of wildness, merry-making, gift-giving, masquerading, divination, spell-casting, and rituals.

KRAMPUS
Krampus is the Yule-time companion of St. Nicholas. (Dutch: Black Peter - Russian: Morozko; "Father Frost" - Norse god of the Wild Hunt: Hulda)

Good St. Nick took care of the ‘good' children while Krampus took care of the ‘naughty' children.
He rattles his chains, beats them with his birch-twig broom, gives them coal, and sometimes carries them away in a sack on his back.

Krampus is horned and hoofed, sometimes with a cloven hoof and a man's foot, sometimes with two goat's hoofs. He closely resembles ancient horned male spirits of fertility and abundance such as Faunas (who also carries a bundle of birch twigs).

SANTA CLAUS
During Norse Yuletide (which follows The Winter Solstice) witches such as the goddess Perchta, flew through the night skies, entering homes by way of the chimney, expecting food offerings. Santa Claus flies through the night skies during Yuletide and enters the home through the chimney.

- Horned god Mermes carries a sack with gifts for his devotees
- Christmas corresponds with the Roman festival Saturnalia in honor of Saturn
(an old god depicted as a jolly old man with a long white beard bearing gifts)
- Odin flies through the air during Yuletide
- Santa as leader of the Elves is like Nordic spirit Freyr, Lord of Fertility,
whom elves work for.
- Reindeer are closely identified with the Saami people of the North Pole.
They are nomadic reindeer herders known for their powerful shamanic traditions,
one of which is a Soul-Journey that utilizes chimneys.

Don't tell ME Santa ain't REAL!! :cold:

 

[Kathryn]

A Little trivia about the "Real" Santa

ZWOLFTEN - TWELVE NIGHTS of CHRISTMAS
According to Celtic, German, Greek, Roman, and Slavic calendars, a gap in time occurs in midwinter for twelve nights. During these twelve nights, there exists a void between realms, where the dead roam the Earth and he Spirits join together with their devotees.

Known in Germanic as "Zwolften", it was a time of wildness, merry-making, gift-giving, masquerading, divination, spell-casting, and rituals.

KRAMPUS
Krampus is the Yule-time companion of St. Nicholas. (Dutch: Black Peter - Russian: Morozko; "Father Frost" - Norse god of the Wild Hunt: Hulda)

Good St. Nick took care of the ‘good' children while Krampus took care of the ‘naughty' children.
He rattles his chains, beats them with his birch-twig broom, gives them coal, and sometimes carries them away in a sack on his back.

Krampus is horned and hoofed, sometimes with a cloven hoof and a man's foot, sometimes with two goat's hoofs. He closely resembles ancient horned male spirits of fertility and abundance such as Faunas (who also carries a bundle of birch twigs).

SANTA CLAUS
During Norse Yuletide (which follows The Winter Solstice) witches such as the goddess Perchta, flew through the night skies, entering homes by way of the chimney, expecting food offerings. Santa Claus flies through the night skies during Yuletide and enters the home through the chimney.

- Horned god Mermes carries a sack with gifts for his devotees
- Christmas corresponds with the Roman festival Saturnalia in honor of Saturn
(an old god depicted as a jolly old man with a long white beard bearing gifts)
- Odin flies through the air during Yuletide
- Santa as leader of the Elves is like Nordic spirit Freyr, Lord of Fertility,
whom elves work for.
- Reindeer are closely identified with the Saami people of the North Pole.
They are nomadic reindeer herders known for their powerful shamanic traditions,
one of which is a Soul-Journey that utilizes chimneys.

Don't tell ME Santa ain't REAL!! :cold:

Good - the continuity of humanity, and our commonalities. I like it. I always enjoy the thought of traditions which span centuries, and I believe my kids do too.

I like that quote from Excalibur (what a great movie!) when Merlin is discussing paganism and Christianity.

"The days of our kind are numberèd. The one God comes to drive out the many gods. The spirits of wood and stream grow silent. It's the way of things. Yes... it's a time for men, and their ways."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Not sure about that dad you knew, but I think I made it clear in my post that I never lied to my kids about Santa - I always told them that though St Nicholas was a real person and historical figure - a bishop who helped take care of the poor in his diocese - the stories of Santa and the North Pole and reindeer and keeping lists of who's naughty and nice and all that hooey was make believe.

Yeah, but then you said that you "messed with their heads" by making reindeer noises on the roof with a rake. That didn't make it sound like your kids were in on the joke.

 

[sandandfoam]

I've done the reindeer bells. The easter bunny too. I've also told them that dead relatives are in heaven.

Imagination and magic are great.

 

[MoonWater]

I'm with revoltingest, falling blood, and ultraviolet and other's who express the same sentiments. I'm not going to tell my kids santa is real. I think it would be more meaningful if they knew that it was their parents giving them this stuff out of love rather than a nice stranger. Sure I'll teach them the santa myth and they'll learn the stories, but I'll never tout it as being real. I don't like the idea of lying to my kids and while it's true many kids don't have any ill affects or ill will about finding out there really is no santa, it's also true that many kids do. I don't want to convince my kids santa is real only to have them be mad at me or feel betrayed or hate me later when they find out he isn't.

 

[Dezzie]

Personally, I'd tell my children the truth about where the belief of St. Nick came from. I just found this site... not sure if it is 100% true but I would rather tell my kids a part of History, than lie to them about a bearded man coming down our chimney.

Saint Nicholas ::: Who is St. Nicholas?

When my children are young, I'd tell them Christmas is a time of giving to the needy... and making other people happy. You don't need a Santa Claus for that.