EXIT SANTA CLAUS.
ENTER REALITY.
Do you remember what age you were when the reality of “There is no Santa Clause (SC)” hit you? I don’t. That was too far back. 🙂 I believed one Christmas and then by the next Christmas the dream was all gone. It probably hit before I realized that the Long Ranger and Tonto weren’t real, and eating spinach like Popeye wouldn’t work for me like it did him. Sometimes reality stinks!! I learned Hercules was a myth. The Easter bunny was just a (good) excuse for chocolate to be passed around and consumed guiltlessly. The tooth fairy stopped dropping quarters underneath my pillow. Nobody could survive the torment torture of Wiley Coyote at the hands of the Roadrunner. Oh…and everything was hunky-dory in life.
Like I said: sometimes Reality Stinks.
What I am about to say may be somewhat controversial, but that’s okay. Controversy is good for the soul. 🙂 There is a school of thought that has made its rounds (I don’t hear it much anymore…least not in my circle) that to teach the “Santa Clause myth” is to teach your children to lie and mom & dad can’t be trusted. Come on people! I mean, for crying out loud! We all have our games don’t we? Do you really think the Lone Ranger can take on all those bad guys and always come out on top? Do we really think Chuck Norris, Arnold, et al are invincible? It is called acting. In the case of SC, it is pure fantasy. What does it hurt a child to dream? Some say it will damage a child’s trust issues with his/her parents. My parents played the game full on and I am not damaged. Okay…so maybe that was not a good example since some may argue with that. 🙂 Let kids dream for a change.
What is worse though is when we stop dreaming for real. We allow life to get in the way and we stop hoping, wishing, and fantasizing. I sure am glad someone didn’t stop Edison, AG Bell, GW Carver, and all the other inventors. Can you imagine where we would be if they had allowed their dreams to be stifled or beaten down?
LET YOUR KIDS DREAM.
So what if they dream about Santa Claus. Hey, if you are teaching them the story of the birth of Jesus in tandem with “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” they will soon realize the importance of the holiday that supersedes the pageantry. In the meantime, I don’t believe you are damaging your children allowing them to dream. Here you go: watch this. (Its only 59 seconds but please watch it to the end).
Now it’s your turn. Any thoughts? Feel free to flail away. Just be kind. I might have to send my reindeer after you.
Make sure you check out Sele and Ed today to see what they have to say about Christmas.
My daughter now knows that Santa Claus is not a real person who leaves her gifts, but that does not mean that he has vanished completely from our Christmas times. He has kind of become a sort of representation of a lighter spirit, a giving attitude, and a special bond that we share. I know, kind of corny, but still very special to me. We still put out the cardboard chimney that I made when she and I moved into an apartment that did not have one (like our house did).
Not corny at all Daniel. He has to represent something. It isn’t like he can be escaped. The real St Nick did represent the spirit of giving. I like that you are maintaining some order among the chaos of life.
Jesus is the reason for this and every season. Santa Claus is silly and fantastical. My kids look forward to gifts from Big Red, but know the real gift of Christmas is Jesus.
You get the idea matt.
We never did the whole “Santa” thing with our kids. I think a major part of this was driven by my own upbringing. Do I regret it? Not most of the time. Now, we do watch “Santa” movies on TV as a family, and we can enjoy them. I seem to remember my Dad reading a book about the real Saint Nick to us when we were kids. I think it helped us to have a healthy understanding of the guy and his role in celebrating Christmas. If we could all be a little more like Santa and give stuff away this Christmas, I think we’d be making a step in the right direction. Thanks for the getting me thinking, Bill.
“Give stuff away” is what you said Jon and that is right on the money.
I remember my son beginning to question. He asked first about the tooth fairy. Then the Easter Bunny. Then Santa. Yet, he has never questioned Christ.
That is probably a testimony to you and your wife Larry.
I was raised with Santa Claus belief. I did not raise my kids that way as I bought into that myth that it will cause trust issues. Love the clip.
Since life is not Groundhog Day, I’ve got to live with my choices. I do believe, and hang on to that belief, that Jesus can turn my mourning into dancing if I can just let go….
We all have to live with our choices. I did not foster the SC myth with mine because of “militant” issues, not trust issues. But Jo’s mom did her part. 🙂 And yes, He can turn our mourning into dancing.
I never believed in Santa and if I will be able to avoid teaching my kids about him I’ll be happy. I know myself – once I am disappointed in something, it makes me reevaluate all the other beliefs that are similar to the one that disappointed me.
*shrug* That doesn’t make me be against Santa (some have been calling him Satan), but for me, he’s useless… same with tooth fairy and Easter bunny… Where did you guys get Easter bunny to start with?? (We don’t have those characters)…
No clue about the Easter bunny whatsoever. Did you not believe in SC because of your mom? I also don’t go along with the Satan jag either. That’s ridiculous.
RE: mom – no… not really… My family just never really paid any attention to Santa (or Ded Moroz, as he’s called here – Grandpa Frost)… I knew my presents came from my family – because we presented our gifts directly to the person… I don’t think it was mom’s (or someone’s) direct intention not to teach me about Santa.
I was just curious. Interesting names there btw. 🙂 I didn’t push the Santa idea either. We put gifts out several weeks before. Jo’s mom was the “pusher” of Santa and we just never said yeah or nay.
The church we were in taught telling our children early there was no Santa, Easter Bunny, etc. I remember putting our daughter who was one on Santa lap in the mall, she screamed. I was not a christian then and thought why would I scare my daughter on purpose with this red suited man. Our two children did not think we destroyed their life by telling them the truth.
No judgement on you brother if you want to still believe in Santa, ho ho ho.
Goes both ways actually doesn’t it? Oh, Betty, please don’t tell others on me. Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaase!
I never believed in Santa Clause and I never taught my my kids to believe either. I have to say, I have no regrets. The true supernatural birth of Christ and what that ultimately offers us is far more fun and mind boggling than any man made fantasy. It’s a real life miracle! I just can’t fathom being captivated by anything else regardless of age.
I don’t judge others that do it, I just don’t get it?
You give a good reason Floyd. I think each parent has to decide. You had chosen not to. But the correct perspective is your last statement.
Sorry Bill…can’t talk about Santa…I’m “Clausophobic” 😉
One word Jay…groan. 😛
You know – I appreciate this. I am one that gets real tired of the politically correct attitude that has taken over America.
I don’t see a big deal in letting a kid believe in Santa. The only difference I see today is that the kids now are very spoiled compared to 20-30 years ago. The line that is hard not to cross is feeding into all of the entitlement and desire for stuff. If you can keep that separate from Santa, then rock on!
your line is a fine one Craig. And it is a troublesome one because we do live in an entitlement age. one way to teach kids not to expect is to draw the giving line.
I knew around 1st grade there was no Santa, but when I told my dad he went nuts and said there was no reason for a Christmas tree or presents or anything else. I sat befuddled by this logic (at age 6, mind you) and then finally relented and said, “no, dad, I do believe” just to get him to stop. I pretended for years so I just didn’t have any desire to keep up the charade when my kids came along. I’m not militantly opposed to Santa, nor do I think anyone promoting Santa is dishonoring Jesus. It’s a personal choice my wife and I made as parents and we don’t expect anyone to have to do the same. We tell our kids not to tell their cousins about Santa because their families made a different decision and we respect that. I don’t think believing in Santa and kids dreaming are mutually exclusive. My kids love to dream and we certainly encourage it. We just never went along with the Santa myth.
Great story Jason. I have this picture in my mind that makes me chuckle. It is a personal choice you guys have made. Truthfully, Jo & I never promoted him either. Would I do it differently today? I don’t know. I don’t think much about it. I don’t judge anyone either way. Not any more. Oh, so glad your kids love to dream.
I absolutely love that video clip! Such a sweetness……we don’t see SC, yet we believe when we’re little children(I stopped believing in 6th grade!) We don’t see Jesus, yet we believe all the time. We let our children believe in Santa, but made sure they knew it was a celebration of Jesus’ birthday, we always sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and read about His birth from the book of Luke before they could tear into the presents. Now I enter a season of life where the little grandson will be talking about SC. Jonah is being raised in a God loving, christian home, so I guess if he believes in SC for awhile it doesn’t concern me because I happen to know his parents steep him in church & the belief in Jesus. 🙂 Another great post!
So cool that Jonah’s parents are making sure Jesus is the focus while still allowing him to “believe” in SC. I also know how intentional you were with yours.
I like reading everyone’s comments to your post! I don’t remember when I stopped believing in Santa . ..so it must not have been too traumatic. 🙂 Our pastor at the time our girls were little, said that as long as SC stops at his house, he’s okay with him. haha! I did tell our oldest about Santa not being ‘real’ when she asked. I caught some flack for that, but I thought if she asked, I needed to be honest with her. It was probably around 5 or 6 years old. Our youngest still probably thinks Santa is real to some extent, and she’s 20 with special needs. But her birthday is Dec. 24th and she mostly thinks about how it’s her birthday and Jesus’ birthday, so that is was we focus on. Thanks for encouraging us to let our kids dream a little! God bless you!
That is great that you daughter has grown up learning the connection between her birthday and Jesus’. That is a tribute to you both. Glad you are enjoying the banter back and forth. I encourage it.
My freshmen year of college we were to give a persuasive speech, mine was to prove SC was real. When I was 8 my father choose to tell my two older brothers and me that since we knew SC was not real we would not be getting gifts because they could not afford it and that my two younger brothers would be because they still believed in SC. I was devestated because I had never been told SC was real. I remember thinking What? What do you mean he’s not real?
We were living in a 4 room house and there was 8 of us and I knew money was tight but still thought SC wouldn’t forget us because we had been so good and he comes to all children (even if you made a mistake or two during the year).
That evening we were all sitting around the house when there was a knock at the door. My father opened the door to a man dressed in a SC suit. He had boxes of gifts for all of us, food, blankets and personal hygiene items. Included in my gifts was my first doll, brand new clothes,a purse and a bible. The man left after lots of thank yous without ever telling us who he was other than Santa Claus. To this day I have never known who the man was and if my parents knew they never said. Santa Claus was real and I don’t mean a man who lives in the North Pole with lots of elves who just gives out toys. Santa Claus was a man who knew there was a group of kids who needed something good to happen to them. Santa Claus was a man who out of the kindness of his heart without wanting others to know who he really was, gave of himself. There are several Santa Clauses out there. Men and women who have love in their hearts who gives of themselves to others.
I always encouraged my kids to dream and believe in Santa Claus but once they learned (generally from school) that Santa Claus was not the man from the North Pole I taught them the true meaning of Santa Claus and the happiness you feel when you give to others. My kids have also been taught the true reason for the season. The have been raised with a mixture of both. My hope is they will someday raise their children the same way.
What a fantastic story Linda. I never knew this about you and your family. I love that you have passed on the “spirit of the man” to your children. I know for a fact they are giving kids, sort of like their mom. It would be interesting to know if your parents put him up to that or if he just surmised from observing that there were children in need. Thanks for sharing that.
I totally agree with you Bill. I see no harm in Santa Clause. I can’t remember how old I was when I found out he wasn’t real, but it sure did make me appreciate my parents a lot more!
It should make us appreciate them more Ed, especially when we realize the sacrifices they made.