Parents long ago stood in long lines with their children to see Santa

[Guest Butero]

I agree about this being much to do about nothing.  I believed in Santa too but my  parents made sure that I understood the real meaning of the season,  Jesus.  I agree too that I have never seen anyone traumatized by believing in Santa.  We as believers know why we celebrate Christmas.  It is to celebrate the birth of the One who would one day  die for us on a cross.  Lighten up. 

Everyone is different.  It is easy for those who didn't have a negative reaction to downplay those who did.  It is easy to make blanket statements that since nobody one person knows was negatively effected by something, nobody was, and everyone should just "lighten up."  It seems to me that those who had positive memories about Santa Claus defend propagating the myth, and those who have negatifve memories about Santa Claus are against it.  This is clearly a decision parents have to make in their own household, but I would never lie to kids and tell them Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy are real. 

[sweethomeliving]

These are really interesting ideas and I've mulled the idea of whether to perpetrate the Santa myth. When my kids were little we told them Santa was not real. If I had to do it all over again, I would let them believe in the fantasy. We can explore the Scripture on this and invariably we end up with discussing whether a lie is right or wrong. I don't think that's the issue at all. Children develop their imagination through fantasy. Without make-believe and fantasy fun, they grow up being logical, anaytical and somewhat boring. If that's what you want your children to be, then ok. I prefer seeing imagination fully developed because invention, innovation and creative thinking require imagination.

[MissPlaced_56]

Butero,

 Dear Bro,

You're right in one respect, everybody is different and will react differently..

For example, I have 2 kids a  son & a daughter,now my son picked up on the fact that Santa was real pretty quickly..my daughter on the other hand was 18 when she finally decided to give up Santa.....(My daughter is mildly challenged)....

I had always told then both that We Celebrate Christmasbecause it is JESUS'S Birthday...My son had told his sister that Santa wasn't real, he was just bein mean as brother's and sisters will do..LOL

 She came to me upset and wanted to know if it was true....So I asked her "What do you think?"

She answered  she thought that Santa was real..I said well that's all that counts for now......i know she knew in her heart that santa wasn't real,she just wasn't ready to give up yet......she asked me again at 18, i said what do you think??, she looked at me for a minute and said no he's not real....i said thats all that counts..lol

she also realized at that moment that the Easter Bunny And the Tooth Fairey weren't real either..LOL LOL

Parenting has to be tailored to the child....Once they realize that these fun little myth's aren't real we have to tackle the most unbelieveable thing of all ..SEX....

 no parenting ain't easy..LOL LOL

GBU Bro

[John Robinson]

Oh, good, another "Santa/Satan" thread. Looks like I got here just in the NICK of time!

 

No, seriously, right from the jump my wife and I told our kids Santa was a story, just another fun part of Christmas. We didn't do it out of any moral sense, but rather practicality. Money was too tight to give our boys all the stuff they wished for (who could?), so we simply told them to be ready to be surprised. I suppose it worked, as the few items we were able to buy, plus the toys I made for them, made the Christmases plenty of fun.

 

That said, they had friends who believed in that "right jolly old elf," and we told our boys not to spoil their enjoyment.

[MissPlaced_56]

sweethomeliving,

 Dear Sister, i agree!

 my son's favorite movie as a kid was "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"..LOL

 He would watch it and watch it,trying to figure out if he could pull a Ferris off..LOL LOL

 he finally after a few years decided that no way could that be pulled off..too much would have to go right..LOL LOL i would watch him before this discovery and could see the little wheels turning in his Little head..LOL LOL

GBU Sister!

[Guest Butero]

These are really interesting ideas and I've mulled the idea of whether to perpetrate the Santa myth. When my kids were little we told them Santa was not real. If I had to do it all over again, I would let them believe in the fantasy. We can explore the Scripture on this and invariably we end up with discussing whether a lie is right or wrong. I don't think that's the issue at all. Children develop their imagination through fantasy. Without make-believe and fantasy fun, they grow up being logical, anaytical and somewhat boring. If that's what you want your children to be, then ok. I prefer seeing imagination fully developed because invention, innovation and creative thinking require imagination.

I don't believe you have to make up stories to cause kids to be imaginative.  I believe all children will use their imagination regardless.  Its just part of being a kid.  The only way you can stife a child's imagination would be to punish them for making up things on their own, and nobody is suggesting we do that.  BTW, I have no problem with children growing up to be logical, analytical and somewhat boring.  There is nothing wrong with that.  There are other kids that grow up to be patholigical liars, and they are often the life of the party.  Everyone is different.

[MissPlaced_56]

John Robinson,

 LOL  i think you're right on time..LOL Thats great!

[sweethomeliving]

 

These are really interesting ideas and I've mulled the idea of whether to perpetrate the Santa myth. When my kids were little we told them Santa was not real. If I had to do it all over again, I would let them believe in the fantasy. We can explore the Scripture on this and invariably we end up with discussing whether a lie is right or wrong. I don't think that's the issue at all. Children develop their imagination through fantasy. Without make-believe and fantasy fun, they grow up being logical, anaytical and somewhat boring. If that's what you want your children to be, then ok. I prefer seeing imagination fully developed because invention, innovation and creative thinking require imagination.

I don't believe you have to make up stories to cause kids to be imaginative.  I believe all children will use their imagination regardless.  Its just part of being a kid.  The only way you can stife a child's imagination would be to punish them for making up things on their own, and nobody is suggesting we do that.  BTW, I have no problem with children growing up to be logical, analytical and somewhat boring.  There is nothing wrong with that.  There are other kids that grow up to be patholigical liars, and they are often the life of the party.  Everyone is different.

 

 

[sweethomeliving]

I don't think you are really suggesting that children who believe in Santa Claus become pathological liars!! And you are correct in saying that children have plenty of time to develop their imagination without Santa. As I said, I did not let my children believe in Santa Claus. My contribution here is from my experience in parenting children who are now in their 20's. In retrospect, if I had my parenting years to do all over again, I would lighten up on a lot of issues--Santa being one.

[OakWood]

 

Saint Nick (Saint Nicholas) is not the same as Old Nick. In the same way that John Wayne is not the same as Bruce Wayne. However, I do agree that 'santa' is an anagram of 'satan'. Coincidence? Who knows?

However, many names are shared or are similar. Judas sounds similar to Judah (one letter difference), Joseph is the name of the Jacob's son, but also the name of a completely different person - the husband of Mary.

I think the Old Nick, Saint Nick thing is just a coincidence. I have a friend called Nick. Is he a saint or is he the Devil? He apparently shares a name with both!

 

 

 

 

I'm not the author of those dictionaries. A statement was made regarding the meaning of "nick". I simply showed evidence supporting that statement. 

 

I wasn't criticising you. You were simply researching something and telling us all about it. My post was for the benefit of other previous commenters.