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Do you tell your kids there is or is not a Santa?


SOUTHERN MOMMY wrote: I was just wondering there are some who do and some who do not.

I personally do the whole santa thing and honestly i'm not sure why. I guess it is because thats what we did when we were kids.

On the other hand my kids honestly do know the true meaning of christmas.

I guess my question is do you or do you not any why?

ready4looneybin replied: We're Atheists so no, we don't teach our children about santa. we also don't celebrate when everyone else does, we made up our own holiday so that our children don't get left out of the ''i got this'' and ''i got that'' from all the other children at school.

Too many children get devastated when they're old enough to find out that there isn't a santa, and i won't lie to my children about it. we would much rather our children believe in someone real, someone to look up to, someone to follow in their footsteps.

The whole santa thing scares the crap outta me and has since I was young. He knows when you're sleeping? He knows when you're awake? And just how DOES he get in your house when you don't have a chimmny? ohmy.gif I think he works for the CIA or the FBI dry.gif

Someone who breaks into your home is a burglar. And a strange man who gives a child presents, in this day and age, usually means a pedo. If it was anyone but santa, you'd break out the shotgun and call the cops.

Another thing that always bothered me... if he loves children so much, and loves making things for them.... how come he doesn't have his own???? Did they all run away and move out of the country b/c they were sick and tired of him breaking into their homes??? laugh.gif


Yep, he scares me. blink.gif

Alice replied: Yes, we do the whole Santa thing. Although I must admit, we don't emphasize the whole good/bad thing. For the most part, our kids are fairly good-- like everyone else's--I think it's kinda mean to tie their behavior into getting presents. A bad day (or, this time of year) week or even month doesn't make them bad kids. So my kids know Santa will be there regardless of their behavior. (But the normal threats-- time outs for them or their favorite toys, earlier bedtime, etc, still hold.)

We do emphasize the other aspects of Christmas too-- a LOT. So we picked 3 "ornaments" at church last week; each is a specific request from a needy person. We give candy to the Fire and Police stations on Christmas Eve, and the kids come in with us to help deliver... stuff like that. They do their own Christmas shopping (In the $1 store) with no help from us, other than to tell them who else is on their list. We really work on getting through to them what Christmas is all about. Even when the whole Santa myth explodes, the rest will still be there.

holley79 replied: As I don't have my own yet, I'll go with childhood. When we were younger, mom was a single mom raising three of us kids after a VERY nasty divorce. We learned early on the value of a dollar and when mom said she didn't have it, she didn't have it. She never told us one way or the other if there was a Santa Claus. We believed in SC because every Christmas when we woke up there were always presents. Maybe they weren't the greatest but we were appreciative of what we got. A lot of times it was necessities that we received but it was presents none the less. We got a few toys also. We didn't know any better and thought it was great. Of course being the oldest I learned there was no SC, but didn't tell my siblings right away. We weren't disappointed when we learned that it was family that put those present there.

Mom also instilled in us the true meaning of Christmas. We would all make homemade Christmas cards for everyone in the family. Adding our own special touches.

DH and I were just talking about this last night. We will probably do the whole Santa thing for Annika. I think in this day and age our children need some kind of fantasy. It's only once a year. We won't tell her if she bad she isn't getting anything. I don't think that's fair. JMO
blush.gif blush.gif blush.gif

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Absolutely! Wil is still a bit young to understand, but I'm going to try and play it up this year! My childrens imagination is what's most important to me...I feel it's important that they have one and not grow up too fast.

punkeemunkee'smom replied:

ITA!!!
Yes we believe in Santa! We also celebrate the fact that Christmas was set aside to remember the birth of Jesus. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!

We LOVE this time of year!!! hug.gif

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I'm with Rae in this one, but Logan will be hearing the santa stories and listening to the santa songs when I get to singing. This time of year makes my heart happy, and I can't help but sing when I get happy. We also participate in church and Logan will absolutely learn the real meaning of Christmas. Here's to family, decorating the tree, baking cookies, Christmas cards, carolling, snow and hot mulled cider. Yum.

gr33n3y3z replied: Well my kids are all older now Katie is 12 the youngest and it was fun while it lasted wink.gif But I always felt some ppl. lost the meaning of Christmas along the way and it becomes Did i buy enough and going into debt over just isnt worth it. ( my friend ) So we believe wink.gif

3xsthefun replied: Yes, we do.

I guess because my parents did when my brother & I was growing up.

mckayleesmom replied: Yes...Mckaylee loves Santa.....she is still young though.

jacobsmama replied: Well Jacob is still young but my mother did as a single mom to 3 kids we knew the true meaning of christmas as well but My husband and I are going to make jacob believe too!! I"m so excited for christmas this year!!! thumb.gif

SOUTHERN MOMMY replied:
If you don't mind me asking what is Atheist? sorry i have never heard of that.

ilovemybaby replied: I think an Atheist is someone who does not believe in God or any spiritual thing? Is that right? Correct me if I'm wrong!

On the Santa subject... Yes! I will definately be telling Abby and any other siblings that there is a Santa. I don't remember being devastated/upset when I found out there was no santa. I wasn't angry with my parents for lying to me. Just like the tooth fairy and the easter bunny.... none really exist but they do in the hearts of children and some adults (like me HAHA) and there's nothing wrong with that. It's better to believe in something good than something evil... I dunno, like Vampires or Werewolves or Zombies etc.......

Also, I will be telling her the true meaning of Christmas because we are Christians. My parents did the same. You can work Santa into the story. He is the man that God appointed the job of gift-giver to. Because when Jesus was born the three wise men brought him gifts. And now it's Santas job to give gifts to all the children in the world. biggrin.gif

3_call_me_mama replied: We believe in Santa and we also celebrate Jesus' birth. We have a nativity scene under our tree and teh baby jesus shows up in teh manger on Christmas morning right along side teh presents from Santa. Funny thing is Cameorn goes to teh manger scene FIRST to see if baby Jesus arrived!!! before the presents! (well he did last year anyway. I imagine he will this year too casue his school does alot with teh NAtivity Scene.

My2Beauties replied: I'm with Rae, I think my child's imagination is really important and believing in Santa Claus is so much fun! I never remember being mad/upset at my parents when I found out Santa wasn't real, as you get older you just sort of think to yourself ok yeah right, my parents never really actually "Told" me Santa wasn't real I just kind of was like ok it was nice while it lasted but come on mom, I'm 10 now! That sort of thing. I wasn't mad at her, I realized why they did it and I see the magic in little kid's eyes when you talk about Santa Claus and everything, I think it's fun for them!

As far as the questions and the pedifile thing and all that, what young child really asks all those questions, maybe as you get older if you think of it in that way, but I mean honestly, he is a jolly old fat man that gives you gifts once a year, the fact that he has no other kids and stuff never came to my mind as a child, I remember because we didn't have a chimney my mom said Santa came in through the door of our house! laugh.gif

I will also teach my child the true meaning of Christmas as well, I think that is important, and I think Christmas is played up a lot and people go overboard and do get into debt, so she will know the true meaning and that whatever she gets, whether it be a little or a lot (as it will always vary from year to year) that she needs to be thankful for it! wink.gif

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
rolling_smile.gif rolling_smile.gif rolling_smile.gif

Santa scares me TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rolling_smile.gif rolling_smile.gif rolling_smile.gif

We're not atheists though... and although we're Christian, we try to add a little of everything so our kids can 'learn' about other reli8gions. We have a minorah (sp) and will be celebrating Hannukah (sp) and Rosh Hashana (or whatever it's called) and all other celebrations in our calendars.

I want to instill the values and norals that were instilled on me... but a little spice is nice!! wink.gif

That said - although I don't like Santa, I won't tell them if he exists or not, but I will tell stories about it etcc.... amd if asked if real, i will answer he's real in your heart if you believe.

it' hard though - because our mothers keep scrwing that up by threatening santa won't come if they're not good.... rolleyes.gif

PhiMuMommy replied: right now my son doesn't question it..but when he does i think i'll handle it the way my mom did with my brother.. tell them the story of saint nikolas and where the idealogy of santa claus came from and tell him that it is a spirit a feeling that lives inside people when they are generous to others. but hopefully it'll be awhile before i have to do that... lol.

luvbug00 replied: I tried the santa thing but Mya figured out on her own that he was fake. ( she went to the mall when she was 3 and saw santa at one mall and then went to another mall and he was there too. on the same day.) now she says "is santa there or is he on lunch break?" emlaugh.gif But Mya loves the real meaning of christmas more then the whole santa thing. She loves nativity sets and going to midnight mass with my dad. She'd be happy with just that.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Absolutely! thumb.gif

Kids need something to look forward to...they need traditions and imagination. This is an awful world...I will try to keep them young and shelter them for as long as they will believe. Same with the tooth fairy.

But, this season is more about giving than anything and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. At least in our home it is. Now that Maddie is older and understands more, this year we will do more centered around giving to others.

Debra replied: No Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter bunny, etc here.


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