There seems to be a debate as to wether or not to tell your children about Santa. As a child I not only believed in Santa Claus but the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy as well. I remember the conversation where I questioned my parents, to which they replied, if there is no Santa then I guess there wont be any presents….I still believe. It wasn’t until I stopped visiting for Easter, that the Bunny stopped hiding my basket. I plan on using a nativity scene and as simple words as possible to explain the very special birthday and story of Christmas, which is nothing more than a leap of faith believing in those wonders as well.
At some age reason and logic will inevitably cause doubt to the existence of Santa Claus, I hope that Jason will continue to believe as I did, on the basis faith alone. It’s a personal choice what parents tell their kids, but I plan on making Jason’s childhood filled with as many magical experiences as I can.
Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, over a hundred years ago, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business. Here is some detail as to the exchange.
December 1st, 2009 - 8:50 am
That’s pretty heavy for an 8 year old!! Before I had Claire I told jeff we would tell her that Santa was a fairy tale and that mommy and daddy were the ones buying all the presents!! How things change! I want claire to believe as long as she wants and I feel it might come in handy as a bribe! “don’t be mean or else Santa will put you on his naughty list”!!!!!! lol!
December 1st, 2009 - 10:09 am
I fully support anyone’s decision to teach their children the myth of Santa in their own way, but we will not be doing so. My husband and I both painfully remember how devastated we were when we learned Santa wasn’t real – me, by recognizing my grandmother’s handwriting forging the name “Santa”, my husband by finding that year’s presents hidden in a coat closet. The feeling of BETRAYAL was the worst. How dare our parents make up this elaborate scheme in order to trick us into “children seen and not heard” behaviour for over a month each year!
Of course I believe childhood should be filled with as much joy as we can pump into them, but threatening a child with coal in his stocking if he refuses to make nice with Great-Auntie Rose at dinner is not the way I will choose to do it. The world has plenty of magic in it already – there are lightning bugs in the summer, and four-leafed clovers to hunt for, and new puppies, and shooting stars, and plenty of other magical sights and sounds, all with no strings attached.
Will I teach my kids who that guy in the red suit at the mall is? Yeah, probably. I’ll say “some people believe he is a magical person who brings gifts to good children every year” much in the same way I will tell them that some people believe a prophet named Jesus was born on this day, and a star magically appeared in the sky to lead shepherds and kings to meet the baby.
December 1st, 2009 - 10:34 am
I don’t plan on attaching strings to much of anything. I like the editorial’s take that thousands of years from now there will be a Santa. For me Santa encompasses the spirit of the season and giving. I was able to avoid devastation and had a lot of fun with Santa and still do.
December 1st, 2009 - 7:07 pm
My children are all grown up with children of their own and we still sometimes speak of Santa (with a twinkle in our eyes and laugh lines sneaking onto our faces). Don’t get me wrong, we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus and we honor Christmas as a time to celebrate family and love.
Santa brings joy and fun into our season. Thinking of Santa reminds me of when our son Tony was about 5. Daddy, Tony and I were hiking along a crystal clear creek high in the Smokey Mountains. There was no one else around when we heard what sounded like a stone hit another stone. We searched for what must have been a knome for quite some time. We laughed and searched behind trees and shouted to each other to see these little footprints and on and on. The joy and fun we had that day was much like Santa visiting each Christmas season. It makes for lovely memories I wouldn’t trade for the world.
December 1st, 2009 - 7:26 pm
I am sorry if any of you suffered in believing in the spirit of me. My existence is soley to bring joy and happiness to your childhood, and adult parenting years. If any of you were threatened with bad gifts, that was your parents fault not mine. The world can turn dark and gray for children in a flash. Innocence is lost with the raising of a fist, the cutting of the soul with a harmful remark, the desolate abandonement with the lost of one or both parents. Be careful to not limit childhood fantasies because of adulkt attitudes. You all got to adulthood with the beliefin me, before you condem, talk to some people who never had me in their lives. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. ps im on a diet, the wife says to leave low fat milk.
December 1st, 2009 - 7:31 pm
shell, the happiness and fun you guys had with santa comming in the house leaving gifts and eating the cookies, used to melt my heart, i’m glad the memories are as pleasent to you, thank you for continuing the fun with jason.
December 2nd, 2009 - 6:59 am
Wait, Santa’s not real?
December 2nd, 2009 - 7:23 am
Rachel, Imagine what life would be like if we believed EVERYTHING that EVERYONE around said or thought. We’d never be able to make a decision. Only you know if Santa is real, you’ll need to look in your own heart to find out.
December 2nd, 2009 - 10:50 am
Thank you, Renate, very well said. I should have clarified that I was a 34 year old mother of two. I hope that they will both have such luck with a response as kind as yours.
December 2nd, 2009 - 5:02 pm
Rachel, I kinda new you weren’t as innocent as all that. I just think it’s a fun discussion. Your kids are blessed to have a playful Mom.
December 3rd, 2009 - 5:48 am
Santa is a fun discussion! Merry Christmas to everyone.
December 5th, 2009 - 9:11 am
I was 11 when I figured out who was leaving my “Santa” gifts. I recognized my mother’s handwriting and had found one of my gifts that year before Christmas. My brother was younger so I kept it a secret until he figured it out as well. I never felt betrayed or devastated. To this day I still get presents from Santa. It is fun to find out which presents are considered “Santa” gifts and which ones are “mom and dad” gifts.
December 5th, 2009 - 9:12 am
Oh, and my brother did get coal one Christmas. He got other gifts too. The coal was wrapped in a box thought, I think by my grandfather. My mom probably didn’t want to get his stocking messy.
December 10th, 2009 - 7:07 pm
You wouldn’t believe it but I have spent all day researching for some information about this. Thanks for this, it was a thought provoking read and has helped me out to no end. this is my site by the way (if you are interested) http://funny-christmas-songs-for-children.info/
December 12th, 2009 - 2:11 pm
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