Do you tell your children about Santa?

I found out the hard way you have watch the fairy tale stuff like tooth fairies, santa, etc. Only because my son had a struggle when he was younger with believing Christ was real and you couldn't "see" him...well, basically he paralleled it to Santa and said if I couldn't believe he's real, how do you expect me to believe Christ was real.....Whoa, what a slap in the head to me.

Know your child..to many kids it isn't a stumbling block, but it can be to others. Boy, did I have some explaining to do!

 

I don't know if any will agree with me on what I do but I will share with you...

I tell them that Christmas is all about giving and it is about sharing the most important gift of all. That is how Jesus came to earth and was born in a humble fashion in a manger and not only was he a baby but grew up and died on the cross for our sins. I tell my children that it is important to share with others about Christ all year long and especially at this time of year when many are focuing on his birth.

I tell them giving and receiving is that of the heart it is not how much you get but the love of giving that counts like how the Lord gave all for us.

I do tell them about Santa Clause I tell them that it is pretend and I do allow them to watch the movies etc...I believe that we can have a balance without lying to them. Also, without them losing the real meaning to Christmas.

Jane.

 

Of course the most important thing is the true Christmas story. I don't have a problem with Santa Claus, so long as he is a mythological character or fairy tale. Children understand that Cinderella isn't real, and they know that all of the animals in the stories they read can't really talk.

Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. They believe what we teach them to believe.

 

Amazing_Grace asked:

If you do, how do you explain later when they find out that it was okay for you to lie about that one thing?

I think it is important to draw a distinction between "lies" and "folklore."

 

Hi,
I did not tell my children about Santa, but my mother did and then threatened to choke me if I told them any different. When my son was about four he told me that he wanted to talk to me. He explained to me that he thought that Granny did not understand that Santa was only pretend. I told him that it was okay, that Granny understood but she liked thinking that way. He was okay with that as long as she sang Happy Birthday Jesus on Christmas day when we sang it. Children are wonderful little people. They understand all maner of things.

 

I told my kids all about Santa. How he wasn't real. Just made up. Also, that Santa has nothing to do with Christmas.
We celebrate Jesus only.

 

In my house growing up Santa was real and he's real in my house now as a grown up. St. Nick was a real man and frankly anyone who tries to tell my kid any differenly will get seriously dirty looks from me,,,he has a great imagination and I don't want that destroyed.

karen yes I do still believe in santa

 

Not to quibble with some who are convinced their little darlings are geniuses....

My son was very intelligent BUT he really had a problem with equating if Santa isn't real, which he knew he wasn't at an early age....how do I convince him that Christ was real...after all he is a story in a book too (kid logic). Maybe this kid is too smart he asked searching questions at an early age.

Just be prepared, not all little darlings think alike!

 

We have never spoken of Santa Claus as a real character at our house, and our children are just fine.

I never believed in Santa Claus myself, but I knew all the stories.

I have told them of the real St. Nicholas of Myra, and of his good deeds, and of how when he withstood the heresies of his day he was persecuted.

Have any of you ever heard of Richard Wurmbrand, who suffered unspeakable tortures for his Christian faith at the hands of the Communists? He tells of an old Jewish legend of one of the rabbis of old about whom during his lifetime many fantastic, magical tales were told. Somehow, his character was on trial, and his advocate said, "Everyone knows the stories are false, but do you know anyone of dubious character of whom such wonderful things would even dare to be fabricated?"

Oh well. I'm rambling. It was interesting to me.

 

Hey, if you take the letters in Santa and rewrite them they spell satan. Hehehe! Just a joke. I do tell my children that sata is a fictious character and that the focus of Christmas is on Jesus' birth, and I do allow them to watch the santa stuff.

 

I would not have a problem sharing that Santa is a work of fiction.

 

Joey....I was just about to jump your case about the lettering...heheeh just kiddin...I love watching the santa specials

karen

 

I instructed my son about Santa. He was real. He lived. He apparently did good things for people. He died. And, if, as supposed, he was a Catholic, he went to hell.

I read an article the other day saying that Santa has become so commercialized that even Catholics in Mexico are not claiming him any mroe.

--B C

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brian Collins:
I instructed my son about Santa. He was real. He lived. He apparently did good things for people. He died. And, if, as supposed, he was a Catholic, he went to hell.
.....--B C<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't really disagree with the first part,
but I do disagree with telling him that Santa went to hell.
I would think that for a child, it goes beyond truth-telling to kind of souring things for them. Also, it goes beyond truth-telling, because you don't know that.

Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, who died ca. 350, was persecuted for his faith and spent time in prison because of it.
He lived a long time before Roman Catholicism of the Middle Ages.
Being in prison certainly did not save him, but I will not be surprised to see him in Heaven. I guess my basic point is, truth is fine, but you kind of dampened things with something unknowable to us.

Karen