My gifts from Santa had tags saying “To: AWB From: Santa” in my mom’s handwriting. I’d say that’s what told me that Santa wasn’t real.
Now for a bit of real deception that I was glad for: Whenever my childhood dentist needed to give me a filling, he’d have me look up, bring the novacaine needle toward my mouth from below my vision, then tell me, “This will just pinch a little bit.” I’d feel the needle prick, but figured that pinching in the mouth would feel more painful, like when I bit my tongue or cheek. I was 12 before I realized I was being jabbed in the mouth with a needle. And that was because I went to a new dentist who prepared the needle in front of me (and gave me a case of nerves like you wouldn’t believe).
Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You’ll find it an effective combination.
My parents were so good at faking it, I was sure there was a Santa until I was almost out of 6th grade. I felt kinda PO’d that mom and dad had lied to me about that. That I had believed them all those years and trusted everything. Felt kind of freaky to realize it was all lies. But for me, it was not an immediate realization or telling. I just kind of slowly fell into thinking… ‘Hey, this crap is like, total BS!’ Or something to that effect.
Anyway, my parents were great at being Santa. They never woke us up, even though I was sleeping right next to the ‘Tree Room’. And they would get work boots and step in the fireplace ashes and leave prints around the room… It was awesome when you believed it! And we would always leave a note that Santa would respond to. My dad penned the notes in a perfect ‘Santa’ way. Lies and deception, but damn good fun.
My parents never presented Santa as a real entity to us. I remember believing as a kid, but as I got to be 3 or 4, we would leave out my fathers favorite snacks for Santa (usually some kind of alcohol shot and cookies). “Santa” would write touching letters to me, one of which included advice to “quit picking your nose so much”. That Santa…he always knew just what to say.
To this day we get Christmas presents from Santa Mom.
Zette
“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit) Zettecity
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?