Live Science
Should parents lie about Santa?
“There’s always going to be one kid who was taught not to believe, he’ll say ‘There is no Santa, my parents say there’s no Santa.”
St. Nick believers may then start to say to themselves, “That doesn’t make sense. It actually makes more sense that it could be mom,” he said.
At that point, parents may decide the jig is up and tell children that Santa isn’t real, but more often they simply stop putting up a pretense and let the children put two and two together, Rosengren said.
Both methods are perfectly fine for the children, as long as you don’t make them feel stupid for their belief, Durtschi said.
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My God let kids be kids while they can.
There’s time enough for reality to assault them later on.
Badger40 on December 19, 2012 at 10:39 PM
Yep. They should tell their kids he’s a liar and will steal all their toys to give to other kids.
Oh, wait… are we talking about POTUS?
platypus on December 19, 2012 at 10:43 PM
I’m facing this now. My seven-year-old will start to suspect. I’ll just smile and say, “Good for you, welcome to the club, you’re growing up.” She’ll feel more pride at having figured it out than feeling stupid she believed.
John the Libertarian on December 19, 2012 at 10:44 PM
The parents should tell their kids the truth. If the kid was bad, tell him/her that Santa ain’t droppin no goodies this year. And if the kid was good, that Santa is coming a-visitin. Cos Santa IS real.
tommy71 on December 19, 2012 at 10:50 PM
I view “Santa” as a metaphor for the virtue of charity… so I can honestly tell any little kids who ask that yes, I believe in Santa.
If the myth of a guy in a red suit helps them to understand earlier, what’s the harm?
malclave on December 19, 2012 at 10:50 PM
I grew up believing in Santa. I will not be continuing the tradition with my children. Not that I believe it is harmful, but there is literally no reason to lie to my children about a man in a red suit that comes into their house and leaves gifts for them. We can have all the fun of Christmas by teaching them the true meaning of the holiday, and then I still get to look them in the eyes and tell them “I have never lied to you.”
The biggest problem I foresee is if my children are anything like me, they’ll want to go around and
show off their knowledgehelp inform the rest of their peers about Santa. Then I have to deal with psychotic parents who need me to lie to help reinforce the fantasy they’ve woven around their own kids.Living4Him5534 on December 19, 2012 at 10:50 PM
I think it’s more harmful to believe the Federal Government will take care of you.
Santa’s got nothing on Obama.
Badger40 on December 19, 2012 at 10:54 PM
Didn’t we cover this last year, and the year before and the year before that and the year …..
Dusty on December 19, 2012 at 11:09 PM
When my son was small, I told him the truth — I told him the true meaning of Christmas and that St. Nicholas was a follower of the One the holiday is all about. I didn’t want my son wondering that since I lied to him about Santa, maybe I would lie to him about Jesus. The culture has made up this legend that is in danger of overshadowing the Christ at Christmas. Not so in my family. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Christian Conservative on December 19, 2012 at 11:16 PM
Yes, Virginia, they should.
wte9 on December 19, 2012 at 11:19 PM
We simply raised our boys with the feast of St. Nikolaus being celebrated every December 6.
They got chocolate coins in their shoes that morning, and we talked about the great, ancient pastor of Myra.
On January 6 they got more candy, this time left by the magi on the feast of Epiphany (Theophany).
They never thought themselves deprived.
And we based these gifts on actual men.
Scribbler on December 19, 2012 at 11:25 PM
Christian here- no lying to my kid
longfeet on December 19, 2012 at 11:33 PM
If they are young…yes.
marybel on December 20, 2012 at 12:00 AM
When my seven year old asked, I responded by asking if she reeeeally wanted to know and giving her until the next day to think about it. She insisted and I explained to her that there was a real Santa who lived long ago (we went to the hated wikipedia for info about the life of St. Nicholas). I told her that parents continue the tradition of anonymous giving, so that there is no expectation of thanks, just the joy of giving in honor of the birth of Christ.
Laura in Maryland on December 20, 2012 at 12:44 AM
+25
comment of the day!
Laura in Maryland on December 20, 2012 at 12:45 AM
VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. New York Sun
Dollayo on December 20, 2012 at 5:35 AM
When you are old enough to question ‘Santa’ THAT’S when you know you are old enough to stop expecting gifts from him. That’s what I told my daughter. She never questoned it again.
DanaSmiles on December 20, 2012 at 6:15 AM
The best approach is to explain that presents come from benign aliens from outer space. Benign aliens whom anger easily and know instantly whether they’re naughty or nice… with immediate consequences.
A great motivational tool.
/S
viking01 on December 20, 2012 at 6:25 AM
This is a topic which my wife and I have debated because of our infant son. I think we have come to the consensus that we’ll present the fun myth as a fun myth.
AbaddonsReign on December 20, 2012 at 7:11 AM
Is it still a lie when it is the idea of Santa/St. Nick of gifts and charity is the message overs some guy in a red suit.
tjexcite on December 20, 2012 at 7:23 AM
A lie by any other name is still a lie.
We were always told that God’s love for us was the biggest gift ever, Jesus. We give gifts at Christmastime to those we love and they aren’t always bought at a store.
I never told my children that santa came down the chimney (that we didn’t have) and brought them gifts. They knew that gifts were given to them because we loved them.
I always said that some kids believed that ridiculous Santa nonsense but they should not ruin their family’s twisted fun… unless the kid asked them.
FWIW
stenwin77 on December 20, 2012 at 7:46 AM
Santa is a lie…do not lie to your children….what’s the problem?
Pragmatic on December 20, 2012 at 8:05 AM
This.
Fallon on December 20, 2012 at 8:18 AM
Yes, there’s no problem in it. Same with the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy.
Nick_Angel on December 20, 2012 at 9:13 AM
From a very early age [5 years old] I recognized the handwriting on the gift notes, so there was no need to lie to me. I already knew there was no Santa, but it did not, in any way at all ruin Christmas.
Urban Infidel on December 20, 2012 at 9:45 AM