Should You or Should You Not Tell Kids About Santa?
Can Christmas be fun and magical without Santa Claus?
Many years back I toyed with the thought of how is it like to meet Santa Claus. To have a chat with him and ask him so many things.
1. How far is North Pole from Manila?
2. Do you know Superman? He flies and is in red cape!
1. How far is North Pole from Manila?
2. Do you know Superman? He flies and is in red cape!
3. Do you have kids? Do they get bigger presents?
4. Do you go Christmas shopping too? Who helps you wrap gifts?
5. Can you fit down the chimney?
6. No presents for kids who have been bad, is that true? Is not eating veggies considered bad?
7. Are you rich? Or super rich? Or superduper rich? Or you just do magic?
8. Can I just ask you to make my dad work here and not overseas?
9. How are you able to make it to all houses in one night?
10. Can I keep one of your reindeers? My dog Pampoo needs a companion.
My curious mind had more to ask but he might think I am silly or he might not have more than 10 minutes to spare for a child like me, I thought.
For a few years I wondered about Santa’s whereabouts and his being. All what TV told kids about him was that he is
a white-haired and -bearded fat guy who make children (not the naughty ones) happy by giving Christmas presents. And that he is very known for his jolly laughter Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho.
One or two Christmases after I began snooping about this well-loved man, I finally found the answers to all my questions. Naaah, not from my parents! But from playmates who for no reason at all just wanted to spill the beans. Did it spoil the fun of Christmas? For me, it somehow did! I did not play with them for a week! For a sevenner or younger yes it could somehow spoil the spirit of the holiday. Because it no longer is a mystery! You know when you're trying to solve something like a puzzle or a math brainteaser and when you finally crack it – you lose interest in the subject? Ditto with a toddler. So how should parents prepare for this? Or an even more troubling question – should parents tell their kids outright that this gift-giver is just a myth?
4. Do you go Christmas shopping too? Who helps you wrap gifts?
5. Can you fit down the chimney?
6. No presents for kids who have been bad, is that true? Is not eating veggies considered bad?
7. Are you rich? Or super rich? Or superduper rich? Or you just do magic?
8. Can I just ask you to make my dad work here and not overseas?
9. How are you able to make it to all houses in one night?
10. Can I keep one of your reindeers? My dog Pampoo needs a companion.
My curious mind had more to ask but he might think I am silly or he might not have more than 10 minutes to spare for a child like me, I thought.
For a few years I wondered about Santa’s whereabouts and his being. All what TV told kids about him was that he is
a white-haired and -bearded fat guy who make children (not the naughty ones) happy by giving Christmas presents. And that he is very known for his jolly laughter Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho.One or two Christmases after I began snooping about this well-loved man, I finally found the answers to all my questions. Naaah, not from my parents! But from playmates who for no reason at all just wanted to spill the beans. Did it spoil the fun of Christmas? For me, it somehow did! I did not play with them for a week! For a sevenner or younger yes it could somehow spoil the spirit of the holiday. Because it no longer is a mystery! You know when you're trying to solve something like a puzzle or a math brainteaser and when you finally crack it – you lose interest in the subject? Ditto with a toddler. So how should parents prepare for this? Or an even more troubling question – should parents tell their kids outright that this gift-giver is just a myth?
As a parent or parent-to-be, should you or should you not?
(The pro-Santa me says) Santa Claus is supposedly a magical childhood experience. For some it is believed to enrich the lives of children. That even when years have gone by, the excitement and anticipation of opening his gifts would always be cherished and passed on to the next generation. The joy that the Santa concept brings is extremely rare. Memories of it would linger forever in one's heart.
(The anti-Santa me says) Others think this seemingly enchanting childhood fantasy is in reality cloaked with lies, threats and promises of rewards to control children. Making kids believe that the horizontally challenged man from North Pole really exists may not be regarded as a malicious deception, but it is, nevertheless, a lie. A kid behaves when reminded Santa sees him when he's sleeping and knows when he's awake. And when they discover the truth they experience sadness, regrets and somehow a sense of betrayal.
(The anti-Santa me says) Others think this seemingly enchanting childhood fantasy is in reality cloaked with lies, threats and promises of rewards to control children. Making kids believe that the horizontally challenged man from North Pole really exists may not be regarded as a malicious deception, but it is, nevertheless, a lie. A kid behaves when reminded Santa sees him when he's sleeping and knows when he's awake. And when they discover the truth they experience sadness, regrets and somehow a sense of betrayal.
So I ask again, should you or should you not?
(The pro-Santa me says) Some may have been told that Santa was real just like the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. They are both make-believe but not much fuss has been raised about it. The Easter Bunny tradition encourages children to build brightly colored nests, often out of caps and bonnets,and if the children had been good, the Bunny would lay brightly colored eggs in the nest. Rewarding good deeds has always been an effective tool of rearing a child. Then there is the imaginary concept of the Tooth Fairy who gives a child a gift in exchange for a tooth that has come out. This is also deemed as one of the childhood's greatest pleasures where the little ones leave a tooth under their pillow for the fairy to take or exchange for goods or money while they sleep. It wouldn't hurt to give these young ones some magic to believe in until they get to a certain age, right?
(The anti-Santa me says) The fairy, the rabbit and the red-suited man – if parents lead children to believe they are real and later debunk their existence, do you think kids would still believe them about the story of Jesus? There is a sensitive issue of trust that could possibly be kaput here. The boy who cried wolf - do I need to elaborate?
(The anti-Santa me says) The fairy, the rabbit and the red-suited man – if parents lead children to believe they are real and later debunk their existence, do you think kids would still believe them about the story of Jesus? There is a sensitive issue of trust that could possibly be kaput here. The boy who cried wolf - do I need to elaborate?
Honestly, I am torn between recreating my beautiful childhood fantasy about Santa Claus for my son's happiness and telling him upfront that it is just all myth. A child’s trust and happiness is at stake. Each child is different. A neighbor's toddler may not suffer the disillusionment that others have with the Santa myth. But he may be set up for disappointment and self-doubt seeing his buddy got flashy transformers that he also wanted that is why he tried to be a good boy. How can this be avoided? At this point, I am clueless. My husband and I still have ample time to make a decision on this matter until our 11-month old David learns how to say the word "Santa".What about you, should you or should you not?
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The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.-Unknown
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