Deciding on The Truth About Santa
Santa Claus is a touchy subject with parents and kids. You want so much for your child to have a part in the wonder of Santa and Christmas. To wake up and see all the presents and magic on Christmas morning. Thinking your wishes come true. The problem comes when parents have to think of how to explain it without giving it away.
It is hard to encourage a lie, which is what Santa is. We are feeding our kids lies, which is what we are teaching them not to do. And what kind of trauma do our children experience when they find out the truth and then think about all the times we lied to them.
The biggest problem is the fact that we are telling our children a lie. But we are also telling them not to lie. How are they to understand what the differnce is, and should they? Not to mention the fact that what we are lying about isn’t even real.
Some parents believe that teaching your children Santa is allowing them to believe in a tradition, kind of a cultural thing. The origins of Santa are actually based on a real person, Old St. Nick, and the story just grew and grew. A lot of civilizations do this.
I think all parents think about what to do in this situation, usually upon their first child. It seems horrible to deny your child Santa. If you look at it from a biblical perspective, which Christmas is, we are told not to lie or worship false idols. We are also told to honor our parents. So it is a matter of figuring out which laws come first. It is ultimately the parent’s decision, and one they will live with.
