What would you think about....

[MakiSupaStar]

I'm an atheist and we play the Santa game with our son. It's fun. Nothing else.

 

[aborgman]

That's a pretty good summary of why I participate in the Santa Claus game. I think it adds to the fun of being a kid.

He also gets the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny.

We do 'em - but the rule in our house is we won't lie to the kids.

We play the game - but if they outright ask if they're real, I won't lie and say "yes"

 

[aborgman]

The public sphere should not necessarily be devoid of discussion, even if there are children present. Civil discourse shouldn't be limited to after the hours children are asleep.

Agreed.

If you ant to protect your children from worldly views, it is incumbent on you (not society) to do so.

 

[Actium]

Why shouldn't they be able to put it up?

People are allowed to put up all kinds of ludicrous religious propaganda on billboards but to tell them they can't do that would be wrong.

 

[Sixpack324]

Wait...............


there's no Santa Clause?

 

[tZer]

I think one very real part of maturing for kids is when they question the existence of Santa (or other things) on their own. My daughter did a few years back - and my son (who is younger) suspects, but it holding out because there is still some perceived value to him for maintaining that he still believes.

It's unfortunate if they are not yet at that spot and a billboard "pops the bubble" for them - but they will find out eventually, I hope, so it's not like an entire belief system is in peril here.

 

[MatticusMania]

Absolutely. Santa Claus is NOT real, and even well-meaning parents who encourage the myth are BS-ing their kids.

or, you know, just taking part in tradtion...

 

[electracoyote]

The wife and I chose not to follow the fictional story of Santa to teach our children the value and rewards of giving to others. Our motives definitely were not some sick way to feel important or achieve self worth. You can certainly feel how you want about it, but that last paragraph is quite vindictive the way I read it.
-Mike

I encourage you to read my post again. I was referring to spoilers. If you never fostered a belief in Santa to begin with, you could hardly be accused of playing the spoiler with your children. Therefore, my indictment was not aimed at you, or anyone who made the choice to not foster a belief in a fictional character.

Now, if you were a guest in my household, where we did allow our young children to believe in Santa, and you popped off how Santa was fake, and spoiled the mystique for my kids, that would be different, and certainly inappropriate and even a bit offensive.

That's (obviously, or so I thought) what I was saying.

 

[Roscoe East]

or, you know, just taking part in tradtion...

There's no "or", it's a tradition of BS'ing your kids.

 

[electracoyote]

There's no "or", it's a tradition of BS'ing your kids.

Wow, some of you are making it sound like a high crime and misdemeanor to allow your child to believe in a fictional character.

I've never met anyone who suffered any mental trauma or long-term negative consequence when they eventually realized (on their own terms, through the process of maturation) that a character they once thought was real is actually fictional. That goes for Santa, Peter Pan, the Power Rangers, every Disney character, and thousands of other childhood fictional fantasy characters that kids get exposed to.

Jeez, let a kid be a kid, fer cryin out loud. If you think it's right to dispell every myth and fantasy in your child's life for the sake of total honesty and full disclosure, fine. It's your kid. For those of us who think a little fantasy is not a problem for a young child, why criticize us and accuse us of "BS-ing" our kids?

THAT is a little sick now that I think about it.

 

[tZer]

There's no "or", it's a tradition of BS'ing your kids.

Only if you frame it in the most negative and narrow way.

"BS'ing" - as you say - leaves no room for all the other very legitimate reasons why parents may choose to allow the Santa story to roll.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed believing and all the fantasy and wonder that it conjured in my little head on Christmas eve. When I 'figured it out', I felt more mature. Win, win.

I knew, like I think most kids know at some point, that if they were to directly ask their parents for the truth, that we'd more than likely get it - which is WHY many of us didn't ask. We wanted to have that fantasy for a little while longer OR we figured out that there were additional presents associated with "Santa" that would probably stop coming if we admitted we knew better.

As a matter of fact, even when kids start to 'get wise' and ask, a lot of parents (myself included) will say, "What do YOU think?"... If they say, "I think it's a myth" - then we say, "Yes, it is" and smile because we see how our kids are growing up. I don't think there's ever been a kid who accused their parents of purposefully lying to them.

Regardless, it (Santa myth) is totally harmless - but someone imposing their own belief that everyone should NOT allow their kids to believe is selfish and has no value other than making one vindictive a-hole feel like he's "fixing the world one billboard at a time".

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Only if you frame it in the most negative and narrow way.

"BS'ing" - as you say - leaves no room for all the other very legitimate reasons why parents may choose to allow the Santa story to roll.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed believing and all the fantasy and wonder that it conjured in my little head on Christmas eve. When I 'figured it out', I felt more mature. Win, win.

I knew, like I think most kids know at some point, that if they were to directly ask their parents for the truth, that we'd more than likely get it - which is WHY many of us didn't ask. We wanted to have that fantasy for a little while longer OR we figured out that there were additional presents associated with "Santa" that would probably stop coming if we admitted we knew better.

As a matter of fact, even when kids start to 'get wise' and ask, a lot of parents (myself included) will say, "What do YOU think?"... If they say, "I think it's a myth" - then we say, "Yes, it is" and smile because we see how our kids are growing up. I don't think there's ever been a kid who accused their parents of purposefully lying to them.

Regardless, it (Santa myth) is totally harmless - but someone imposing their own belief that everyone should NOT allow their kids to believe is selfish and has no value other than making one vindictive a-hole feel like he's "fixing the world one billboard at a time".

In a nutshell, this.

 

[jugglingfreak]

There's no "or", it's a tradition of BS'ing your kids.

I don't see it that way either. My 2 cents along with other great answers above:

My daughter specifically asked why we did the Santa thing when she was younger.

I told her because the Santa myth encapsulates the "spirit of giving" which, to me, is what Christmas is about.

I likened it to the characters at Disney World. We did that when she was younger and I still do it. I told her "I'm 42 years old. I know full well it's a person in a costume but when I go up to get a picture with them, at that moment, they are Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, etc.

Or like watching a good stage magician, just because you know the truth behind the "Magic" doesn't mean you can't be amazed by it..

I hope that makes sense, I'm not as eloquent as the couple of post before me..

 

[Balog]

Parents who think their kid knowing that they receive presents from their parents (because they are loved and valued) instead of as a reward from a mythical elf for good behaviour will ruin their childhood and destroy their imagination amuse me. "Oh no, I got something I want from Mom and Dad because they love me!!! My life is RUINED!!!!"


I'll also point out the difference between playing along with pretend and imposing it. A little boy running up and telling you he's a dinosaur is one thing. Telling him he is a dinosaur, and then going out of your way to not just have a fun play time pretending it is so but to actually deceive him into really believing it is reality seems something else.

 

[Chebass88]

Is it BS? Yes.

Is it harmless BS? Yes & No.

It is a tradition based on fear to motivate good behavior. If you behave, you get presents. If you don't behave, you don't get presents. Couple this with some watchful guy-in-the-sky who constantly observes the child, making notes in his naughty list, and you have a pretty decent [DEL]religion[/DEL] behavior modifier. Trying to induce good behavior through fear is pretty awful in my book. I used a more polite term to describe it, "BS".

What most people refer to is a warm & fuzzy version where everybody gets presents, where the negative aspects are ignored or downplayed. Yay! Presents! Who doesn't want to believe in something so nice? This is equivalent to watered down versions of religions nowadays vs. the fire and brimstone versions of yesteryear.

It is possible for a child to enjoy Christmas without the mumbo-jumbo of Santa. AND without the mumbo-jumbo of organized religion as well. It isn't so much as ****ing on a kid's dreams - as one post mentions - just not deluding them and instiling fear in the first place. With Santa OR religion.

It is possible to teach children that the parents work & earn money, with which they purchase presents for the child. The exchange of presents is a way to show what the other person means to them.

 

[tZer]

Balog - Chebass88 - I think you are putting way too much emphasis on your own manufactured version of who these parents are and why they do what you think they do - then criticizing these manufactured 'horrible parent' prototypes.

I agree with both of you that horrible parents who purposefully tell their children lies for no other reason that to destroy their ability to be objective and rational thinking humans are horrible parents - and the fact that they might also use Santa Claus as a tool to achieve their evil ends is reprehensible. Shame on them.

Otherwise, I think you guys are blowing this a bit out of proportion.

 

[Balog]

Balog - Chebass88 - I think you are putting way too much emphasis on your own manufactured version of who these parents are and why they do what you think they do - then criticizing these manufactured 'horrible parent' prototypes.

I agree with both of you that horrible parents who purposefully tell their children lies for no other reason that to destroy their ability to be objective and rational thinking humans are horrible parents - and the fact that they might also use Santa Claus as a tool to achieve their evil ends is reprehensible. Shame on them.

Otherwise, I think you guys are blowing this a bit out of proportion.

My position has nothing to do with Chebass88's little anti-religious screed.

I'm merely observing how many folks seem to think that not telling your child that Santa is real somehow deprives them of the ability to use their imagination.

It's honestly not a huge deal either way, but pretending it's anything other than lying to your kids (even if you view it as "for their own good") is just silly.

 

[MatticusMania]

Since my children will be watching A Christmas Story annually at that time of the season I'll let them form their own opinions on Santa Klaus.

 

[tZer]

My position has nothing to do with Chebass88's little anti-religious screed.

I'm merely observing how many folks seem to think that not telling your child that Santa is real somehow deprives them of the ability to use their imagination.

It's honestly not a huge deal either way, but pretending it's anything other than lying to your kids (even if you view it as "for their own good") is just silly.

Noted.

Regarding "lying", no, that is just a ridiculously hyper-literal semantic technicality that attempts to summarily nullify all other valid angles.

It is much less a point of view than it is a tactic.

 

[FilterFunk]

Only if you frame it in the most negative and narrow way.

"BS'ing" - as you say - leaves no room for all the other very legitimate reasons why parents may choose to allow the Santa story to roll.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed believing and all the fantasy and wonder that it conjured in my little head on Christmas eve. When I 'figured it out', I felt more mature. Win, win.

I knew, like I think most kids know at some point, that if they were to directly ask their parents for the truth, that we'd more than likely get it - which is WHY many of us didn't ask. We wanted to have that fantasy for a little while longer OR we figured out that there were additional presents associated with "Santa" that would probably stop coming if we admitted we knew better.

As a matter of fact, even when kids start to 'get wise' and ask, a lot of parents (myself included) will say, "What do YOU think?"... If they say, "I think it's a myth" - then we say, "Yes, it is" and smile because we see how our kids are growing up. I don't think there's ever been a kid who accused their parents of purposefully lying to them.

Regardless, it (Santa myth) is totally harmless - but someone imposing their own belief that everyone should NOT allow their kids to believe is selfish and has no value other than making one vindictive a-hole feel like he's "fixing the world one billboard at a time".

All sorts of win in this post!