Lying to kids about Santa

This... I would rep if I could but I gave out too much. I sort of left the bolded part out of my explanation but that was what I was alluding to with saying about wanting to instill the true values of Christmas rather than impose fairy tales as bold face truth at an early age. Sorry, worked overnight and was pretty out of it by the time I typed my initial response.

I didn't become a humbug when I figured it out, Christmas was still just as magical - all the lights, the smells, sights and sounds... if anything I felt a lot closer to my parents and family at that time once I realized it was mom & dad behind it the whole time. I just felt like it was kinda pointless and wondered why they would want to pull the wool over my eyes for no particular reason... also got me thinking "what else are they lying about?" Still didn't resent them...

 

I don't celebrate it, but santa and his connection to amanita muscaria mushrooms makes for a very interesting story

 

^^^ Just looked it up. Very interesting.

 

But the thing is, that's life, parents lie to kids. There's a lot of shit your parents don't tell you when you're young. There's a line between being honest with your kids and being too honest. I guess my point is, your kids are going to catch you in a lie one day, and I'd much rather it be the Santa thing to pad the fall for when they realize other stuff isn't so real. I don't know, I guess I just felt a lot less disillusioned when I discovered Santa was a fairytale than I did when I found out my parents had cheated on each other prior to my birth (after they spent years instilling values like only sleeping with the person you marry). There's worse shit people keep from their kids than the truth about Santa, so I guess that's why I'll probably do the Santa thing.

 

i wonder if having the "only have sex with the person you're married to" talk with your child would be considered a sign that cheating took place at some point in your past...

 

Maybe, because I don't think that was something that other kids' parents placed a lot of emphasis on... lol.

 

i have no problem lying to kids. they're lucky they even know about Santa...if they survived the prebeatings they got, otherwise Santa, the tooth fairy, and the easter bunny would not be around in fantasy land for them.

 

I would probly tell kids that Santa does not exist physically but as a ghost or spirt of some sort and it would go the same for his reindeer, wife, and elves and that the auroa borialis is the dimesion portal to Santa's workshop

 

+1
Let kids her their crazy mind while their kids, from witches to santas and what ever is in their head. They'll grow out of it, why spoil something exciting? They'll figure it out themself after a few years.

 

Nice. I love this idea.
Oh I bet they would all look both ways.

Seriously though, Santa doesn't define Christmas or childhood. I've had magical holidays without all that stuff and I turned out just fine :sunny:

 

It all just seems unnecessary to me. Some lies are told to protect children while they are too young to understand. Making up a lie/story that has no necessity being told in the first place just seems like a hassle to me. I don't know, I don't relate to children, I don't enjoy children, and I don't plan to ever purposefully have any so maybe my opinion is moot here, but that's how I feel and that's what I would do IF I had kids. I'm not saying don't let kids have their childhood, but there are other millions of wonderful more meaningful (to me) ways to bring light into a child's life. I'm just failing to see/agree with the benefits of telling kids about Santa as though he is a real person. Like I said before, my main problem with it is that I feel it encourages the Gimme Gimme hyper-consumer attitude from a young age which will become harder to shake later on because all kids see is that Xmas = Santa = Presents FOR ME ME ME.

 

Of course you turned out fine, it's not a requirement.
I and others have had the Santa tradition and turned out just fine. That is my point.

I don't care who is or isn't going to do the Santa thing with their kids, but I'm not the one going around calling people liars just because their traditions are different than mine.

 

Are you saying > there is no Santa??

 

Maybe Santa is like that other imaginary stuff and only exists if you truly believe. He just doesn't visit you guys anymore cuz you're sourpuss non-believers. Kinda like God doesn't protect atheists.

 

If I had kids I would lie like my parents did. I didn't appreciate staying up all night waiting for him hiding in a closet one year, but all in all it did add some excitement and magic. Same with the tooth fairy and easter bunny.

Also, I remember my sister telling me that the blinking red light on planes was Rudolph's nose. Of course I believed her.

 

my parents told me you had to press the bottom on the side of the chair at tae off to get the plane to fly. Me and my sister used to press it constantly, we felt important

since in my old age I realised it was to tilt the chair back, I sort of feel sorry for those people sat behind me.

 

I never lied to my daughter about it... Why would I tell her a fat man in a colorful suit was going to slide down our chimney when we were all sleeping?

Now, having said that, I also didn't make an issue out of it. We still give gifts and have holiday dinner and such, but it isn't about gifts, christ, santa or a bunch of non-existent flying deer.

It's about being with those that you care about and sharing some good times.

Now, if my daughter had ever come out and asked me if there was a santa clause, I would have said no, and explained that it was a fairy tale that went along with the holiday season.

This year is actually our first total break with the holidays being about christmas in anyway. On the winter solstice, we will have what most would consider our christmas day. Spending time with each other sharing life on the shortest day of the season gives added hope and joy to the following months (some of which really really suck!) as each day from that point on grows longer.

We will still have gifts (usually homemade) for each other and those around, and holiday decorations (although they will definitely not be christ related (manger, wise men blah blah blah...) and we won't be singing any traditional 'christmas carols'.

If you strip away the religious, commercial and ridiculous, you can still have an awesome holiday, with the added bonus that there doesn't have to be a single bit of dishonesty involved.

 

I'm glad I wasn't behind you.

 

Basically what I was trying to say, but you made a lot more sense lol

Is that why I got coal last year

 

Santa Claus is the secret answer to capitalism.