Bah! My kids are teenagers, and I still make them believe in The Claus. The Claus is in charge of the holidays. Given my attitude towards the holidays, I tell them that if I wasn’t forcibly employed as an agent of Mr. Claus, no one would get anything. As it is, in order to get The Claus’ approval to receive any gift, they must not disrespect the Claus within earshot of any agent of the Claus.
Being a cruel, vicious, uncaring parent, I try to get them to admit to The Claus’ existence in the presence of their peers. Amazingly, neither of them have cracked under the pressure, however eyes have rolled like they were in a slot machine.
It didn’t start as a debate - it was in IMHO. I was curious about opinions and how others had handled any disparity between their commitment to honesty vs their intention to provide their child with extra holiday fun.
I understand. I had originally intended to post something entirely different so I guess I’ll add another 2c in.
2 things, Santa Clause (and friends) exist as extensions of our parents or guardians. They are as real as any of the other roles they fullfil in a childs life. My father coached my soccer team to a winning season (on the first go) with virtually no knowledge of the game. Was he a coach? Yes? He was also a teacher, a minister, a judge (complete with jury) and a host of other professional types.
2nd, and maybe more important, figuring out who Santa Clause is, is a benchmark in a child’s development. Every parent I’ve ever known has handled the question “is there a real Santa?” with a mirrored “what do you think?”. I remember feeling like I’d grown a little when I realized who Santo really was. There are many such moments in a child’s life and they should be savored both as an individual and as a parent. If a child ever confided in me that they felt lied to I would tell them exactly that.
True, but there’s plenty of wondrous and magical stuff out there even without bringing Santa Claus into it. Children whose parents decide not to participate in the Santa Claus thing are not necessarily doomed to spend their years of innocence in a dull arid wasteland of mundanity.
Good thing, too, as otherwise it would be really tough on the kids whose families don’t celebrate Christmas at all, wouldn’t it?
True. Very true. But the question, as I understood it, was limited to people who would celebrate Christmas in the traditions passed down from Saint Nicholas. It is the unresolved deception that was in question, not the tradition itself.