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Would The Real Santa Clause Please Stand Up?

December 22, 2006

In view of the Christmas season that is upon us, a conversation about Santa Clause has taken place between my wife and I. The question is, will we tell our kids about Santa Clause or will we not carry on that tradition. As with most of our conversations there was a small moment of confusion and aggrivation as I spouted off at the mouth about how I think making kids believe in something that doesn't exist is lying to them and starting off their childhood with deception and my wife came back at me with equal frustration about how Santa Clause is a part of the Christmas tradition and should be something we enjoy with our children. Once the smoke cleared we began to realize that once again it is all a question of semantics. While I am kinda hard headed sometimes and when I spout off at the mouth it is usually something that I take to the utmost extreme, I don't always mean exactly what I say in the way it comes out. I didn't mean that we should just get rid of Santa all together, I just don't think we should make him out to be real when he is not.

I think that our children should be told the story of Santa Clause and that it should be just that, a story. We can enjoy the story, the tradition, and the magic of Santa without lying to them and making them believe that Santa is real, only to hurt their poor little hearts down the road when they realize that he isn't. What is the point of perpetuating a lie to little kids who don't know any better? We read books to them, they see movies and shows with the eventual understanding that these things are simply stories. They can use their imaginations and have fun with them anyway.

I remember as a kid I loved the Teenager Mutant Ninja Turtles. I watched the movies, I owned all the toys, I even got tickets to see their live "Coming Out Of Their Shells" tour and I bought the tape to sing to it over and over again. Everyday I would rush home from school so that I could watch the TMNT cartoon on TV. Nobody had to come along and try to get me to believe that the turtles actually existed in real life. My parents didn't have to lie to me in order to make me believe that they were real so that I could enjoy the whole story. I loved the TMNT anyway. Just like we can love the story of Santa on Christmas.

I guess the one thing that is always fun is that the kids get to go to bed at night with the anticipation of Santa coming and bringing them lots of gifts and the excitement of them coming out of their rooms to see all the presents that were put under the tree. That tradition doesn't have to end either. They can still anticipate all the presents that will be there in the morning. There are so many different ways to do Christmas and to make it fun without having to trick little children into believing that its true...

Am I wrong on this? What do you think??????

Comments

Posted by: Anna
December 22, 2006 02:22 PM

I won't comment on the case for or against the story of Santa...because I'm stuck on the spelling you used! Craig, there is NO E at the end of Claus!!!

OK, so I'm neurotic.

Posted by: Christopher
December 23, 2006 09:11 PM

We have actually discussed this a little at WIT as of late.

If I were a parent. I would take a similar approach that Tony describes over at WIT. It seems to me to be balanced and it keeps the most important thing, the most important thing and sorry Santa, you ain't it.

Posted by: Christopher
December 25, 2006 10:06 AM

Have a Merry Christmas!

Posted by: Pressed
December 30, 2006 12:30 AM

I think the clause is a much nicer spelling.