Post by BieberMyBalls on Nov 21, 2012 9:51:16 GMT -5
We had no money growing up, and yet every year my parents did what they could to make sure Santa never forgot us, so that we could have some magic and excitement in an otherwise crappy time. I guess I should call up my mom and tell her how hurt I am that she lied to me all those years. ::insert a big fucking eyeroll here::
Honestly, I just can't fathom having a knock down drag out fight with my H over this. That's the part that's killing me.
Pete used to ask me if Santa was real. I told him he needed to think about it and decide for himself. He asked a few questions. I gave him possible answers and he decided it was plausible enough to believe in for a while. It wasn't that hard.
Post by sawyerthedestroyer on Nov 21, 2012 9:55:42 GMT -5
I cannot wait until DS is old enough to really "get" Santa. This is one of the parts of parenting I am really looking forward to. Plus it gives me another reason to bake and eat cookies.
I'm with you on this. I don't think parents should go along with a fictional character just because society deems it appropriate. He going to know Santa is bullshit eventually and then he'll wonder why you told him he was real. I knew from an early age it is impossible to travel through the entire world in only one night and break into people's houses to deliver presents. It's common sense really.
Do what you need to do, but hot damn, believing in Santa was a lot of fun while it lasted. I don't feel permanently traumatized by learning that it was all a story.
Look -- if you are a sane person who grew up w Santa, it should sort of make you love your parents that little bit more -- the warm feeling should grow a bit. As a parent, even though my babies have no fucking clue what's going on, I already feel that. Doblina said it perfectly. Santa is about showing unabashed, unreciprocated love for your child (....albeit through toys). It is wholly unselfish, except for the awesome feeling you get when your kid opens that awesome gift.
I can still see the look in my mom's eyes as we would open those *big gifts* and she'd be all "Wow, Santa is pretty cool" and let us just BE HAPPY about the damn things.
And you know what? Christmas comes smack in the middle of goddamn winter and everyone is dreary and sad and *cold* and we could all use a little Santa in December. Mmmkay??
Dude, that would blow as a kid to not get to believe in Santa. It's so fun and so magical for them.
did not ruin Christmas or anything at all for me or my brother...I don't feel like we missed out on anything at all. we had a different tradition and one that I will be likely to continue when I have kids.
Post by clickerish on Nov 21, 2012 10:10:54 GMT -5
What is wrong with people? I never believed Santa was real, but my parents refused to say one way or the other. It--along with the Tooth Fairy--was a phenomenal game we all played. They would say silly things like, "Sinterklaas is getting old, so maybe we should send him some coffee so he can stay awake to deliver the present" so we would freak out appropriately--even though we all knew the old guy (aka my parents) would make it in the end. We never put out cookies, but we made "treats" for the reindeer and "helped" them eat them. We sang about Santa, shook our heads at his nasty little helper and put out shoes for presents. I don't think I ever thought Santa actually came to my house or checked a list, nor do I remember writing him a letter--but it was a non-issue.
Besides, as everybody knows, Epiphany is where it's at! Three gifts to one? Much better.
Any 30 year old who tells me they're still traumatized from finding out that their parents were "lying" to them about Santa and it in turn makes them question the truth of everything that comes out of their parent's mouths... well, you're a giant flaming asshole. Life is going to be SUPER hard for you.
And I agree... too many of the parents who don't do Santa don't bother to address NOT telling other kids who might believe. And they in turn fuck it up for everyone. If you're not going to feed your kid the Santa story, fine. Just please for the love of God... tell them not to be a little asshole and ruin it for others.
I'm with you on this. I don't think parents should go along with a fictional character just because society deems it appropriate. He going to know Santa is bullshit eventually and then he'll wonder why you told him he was real. I knew from an early age it is impossible to travel through the entire world in only one night and break into people's houses to deliver presents. It's common sense really.
Post by MixedBerryJam on Nov 21, 2012 10:16:08 GMT -5
I didn't outright tell my kids Santa wasn't real, but I did make clear that the Santas in the mall and on the street were Santa's helpers and that's why there were so many of them.
I can't imagine not doing Santa on SOME level. Tell them the truth from the beginning if you want, that Santa is character, like on TV; but I tend to think parents who refuse to "do Santa" at all are fun-sucking assholes who take themselves and their children far too seriously.
I didn't outright tell my kids Santa wasn't real, but I did make clear that the Santas in the mall and on the street were Santa's helpers and that's why there were so many of them.
LOL I did this too. I gave the kids enough reason to believe if they wanted to, enough doubt to sway them if they were so inclined. It was truly their decision.
I wish the elves weren't so freaking creepy looking or i'd be tempted to do one when we have kids...but I'd just end up doing bad things or scaring them by having it on their pillow randomly through out the year...I have zero intention of doing Santa, I'm sticking with my family tradition which at the time when i was a kid thought was magical and I could never figure out how the presents ended up in our cars when we got out of church for the longest time...turns out Grandma and Grandpa were in on it.
But if my kids want to go see Santa or what not, I'm not telling them no, if they decide they want to believe he's real, I'm not going to break their hearts and not give them something small from him. I will never let them ruin it for other kids though...if I find out they do that, then they are going to have a very un-merry Christmas.
And jehc (I think) is right -- creative play and imaginative speculation is a kind of language for children that builds neural pathways and literally makes them smarter.
I was just listening to a podcast yesterday about how to think like a child and they said exactly this.
I agree with you on the rest of it too. I will play Santa with my kid for as long as he lets me. Calling it lying to your children is an overreaction, IMO. I'm pretending with him. Eventually, he'll understand that.
Santa-gate was a traumatic unravelling of a web of lies my parents created.... Birthday gifts, just more evidence that they kept secrets from me! I swore I would never trust again and look at me now! Living alone, off the grid, and perfectly happy in my tinfoil hat!
I have all the books I could need, and what more could I need than books? I shall only engage in commerce if books are the coin. -- Catherynne M. Valente
You heifers made me go pull my old sig off of the board which shall not be named!
In the immortal words of Underwater Rhymes:
Seriously, people. If your faith in humanity is destroyed because your parents told you there was a Santa Claus and as it turns out there is no Santa Claus, you are an ignorant, hypersensitive cry baby with absolutely zero perspective.