So Christmas is fast approaching and we are still yet to decide on what to do about Santa…

Most of our relatives teach their kids about Santa. But I’m just not sure. I’m very torn. On the one hand I don’t want to lie to Big Brother. But I also don’t want to deprive him of the magic of Santa. In some ways we don’t have a choice, I mean, my mother still signs all our gifts from Santa. So that will be there.

And if we tell him that some children believe in Santa, he could be the one that spoils it for them… That would be awful.

No matter what we do about Santa we will teach him that the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate Christ and all he has done for us.

Time is running out, we might get away with being undecided for this one last year, but after this we really will need to make a decision.

What did you do about pairing Christ in Christmas and Santa in Christmas?

 
  • I’ve found that it is possible to include christ and santa in Christmas. There are many stories that explain the tradition of gift giving and santa claus that are fun and imaginative. I don’t remember what it’s called but there was a book I’d read once that included Santa visiting baby jesus, it was so cute!

  • Karen_7lee

    I just feel I can’t lie to my child.  My husband is horrified that I told our son the truth, that Santa a lot of fun for people, but he is just make-believe.  Here is what cinched it for me: our second child died this spring.  We know that he is now in heaven with Jesus.  This is a truth that is real, but difficult for him to understand.  He has to trust me and my explainations.  If I tell him about Santa in a way that makes him think I’m saying it is real, when he finds out the truth, as all children do, how will he know he can trust me about God, or Jesus?  Won’t he feel betrayed?  Because for some people heaven is the same sort of myth or “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” that Santa is… Have you ever seen the movie “The Invention of Lying?”  And heaven is just a beautiful lie he tells him mom so that she’ll feel peace when she dies.  If my son finds out that Santa was a beautiful and “harmless” lie I told in good fun, how can he trust me that I didn’t tell him about heaven as a beautiful and harmless lie so he wouldn’t worry about his brother?

    I know not everyone agrees with this.  I know some people are horrified along with my husband.  But for myself, I just can’t say things are true or real if I know they are not.  The truth is too precious to me, to mess or play around with. 

    And the funny thing is, my son almost seems to find it comforting that Santa is NOT real, just pretend.  Because think about it… a strange guy in a mall in what even a child must suspect is a false beard and mustache, face mostly hidden… um… well… MY child finds that a bit un-nerving, even scary.  He can smell something is off there.  Understanding it is dress up “in fun” was actually reassuring to him.

    I know lots of people do “Santa” and find me a bit “scroogey,” but I can’t help seeing it that way.  And I hope that my child won’t get too “in your face” about it with other kids who believe in it. 

  • I feel the same way. I’m very conflicted about what to tell my kids. They’re still young, of course but I feel like I’m lying to them! 

  • Keri

    Hey Amber! I know G is a little young for a history lesson, but I enjoyed Mark Driscoll’s perspective on Santa: http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/mark_driscoll/2010/12/what_we_tell_our_kids_about_santa.html  

    You can’t get away from it. Santa is everywhere. We tried to have “a talk” with A about Santa, but she WANTS to believe. So we’re just going with it, but we will be honest. God gave Jesus as a gift, so Santa gives gifts in his honor. 

  • Aslippergirl

    You can tell him the real story of Saint Nicholas (who gave because of Jesus) and then tell him that the “Santa” of today is supposed to be like Saint Nicholas.

  • We were very torn on the Santa issue. Fortunately, my son made the decision for us: he decided on his own that he believed in Santa Claus!