Let me start off by saying this was the big gift of Christmas. I was sort of against it, but it was their Dad's idea and it will probably be the most memorable gift for years to come. Advice: if the kids want the powerwheels - get one.
Okay, I'm moving into controversial territory with this post, but now that the holiday season is gone, I feel like we can chat about it without any criticism and I'm really just looking for other ideas and feedback.
1. Why is important that kids think of Santa at all at Christmas?
2. Do your currently or will you plan to have your kids "believe" in the mystery of Santa, in what form? Stockings? Gifts galore? One gift? Socks and underwear?
3. How do you plan to tell them or did you tell them when they got the idea that the whole Santa & Elf thing wasn't happening?
I loved the idea of Santa -probably until some inappropriately old age (like 11 or 12). Seeing the surprises of Christmas was the highlight of the season and I was not burned or saddened when I found out there was no Santa -- probably because it would have been totally embarassing to admit that I was still going along with the ol' big man in red suit idea. But, for our family, I'm just kind of already over it (I know Lara - I'm such a scrooge right?!!! :)) with it. In practical terms, keeping extra "santa" wrapping paper (we didn't bother to wrap them), wondering if the letter got to the north pole, cookies, yadda, yadda, it's just extra to do. In realistic terms, there are the questions which you cannot answer truthfully but must somehow avoid lying about. For example, our smarter than the average bear 4 year old said the following when I offered to take him to see Santa at the ward christmas party, "Why? Everyone knows it's just a guy in a silly suit." Of course everyone knows. Not to mention that when encouraging the Santa list or whatever, I constantly have to narrow it down because it is absurd for my kids to believe some jolly old fat man will bring them a list full of items. We say one gift, plus a stocking and your best gift comes from your mom and dad who love you most of all. Finally, there's a spiritual aspect, I am seriously not looking for trouble, but doesn't the Santa thing sort of overwhelm the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ? It just feels like it does. My neighbor doesn't do Santa at all - she just told her kids, he's like any other character in a children's book and not real. I think it could be stretched further as a parallel for christian spirit and giving - not to mention the naughty or nice list, but do you think this would doom the children to an unhappy childhood if I pulled the plug on Santa? Thoughts?
Here's what Tim and I looked like after Christmas:
9 comments:
Hmm... first commenter-- no pressure, right?
For our family Christmas is first and foremost about the birth of the Savior, we emphasize this over and over with our kids.
I do have to say though that Santa is a big part of the magic of childhood (at least it was for me), and I personally enjoy watching my children run downstairs on Christmas morning, ready to see what the jolly old elf brought them (It's the traditional German in me I guess)
Brian is getting to the age where he has one or two years left before he decides that Santa isn't real (I found out when I was nine, my mother's handwriting and Santa's looked too similar, LOL!) In a very selfish way I'd like for my children to believe as long as possible, especially since there are so many ugly and horrible things in the world and having a little magic that includes thinking of others doesn't seem so awful.
I think I'll take the approach that my mother did when I approached her about Santa.
Tell the whole truth, but also share the story of St Nicholas who gave secretly to others in the spirit of Christ's birth (the ultimate gift).
If I told my children outright I could only see regretting it down the road.
Frankly, I'm a little tired of keeping up Santa appearances myself. But I suppose it's a testament to the boys' eternal hope or plain cluelessness, that no matter how many friends tell them there's no such thing as Santa, they continue to believe. I get a kick out of all the times they justify the existence of Santa ("But we saw him at Grandma Bitty's party, remember?"). The signs point to lies, but we both know my boys lack common sense! :o)
Also, Marcus has the Santa Claus Book. In the book it tells what happens to people who stop believing in Santa Claus. . .then it shows a picture of a person that has turned old. :o)
I'm not sure why Santa has become so important. I suppose if all our parents raised us without introducing him, it wouldn't be such a problem. Honestly, I never did the "Santa" paper until 8 years after I got married. Now in order to avoid arguments, I'm forced to do boring gifts, i.e. clothes, from Mom & Dad and everything else from HIM. It's all Marcus's fault, really.
i'm with you on this. i don't dig the whole santa gig. b asked me all season long if santa was real and all i said was, "do you believe he's real? then he's real to you." it's a conundrum and i'm pretty conflicted. so good luck with that. let me know when you're hit with some kind of inspiration and then hop over to my blog and enlighten me. :)
What????!!!!! Santa isn't real, this totally blows, well someone put those dang presents under the tree and it wasn't me...
why not use Santa to tie into Christ? St. Nick brought gifts to people to celebrate the same spirit that the wise men felt when they brought gifts to the Savior. just as one of your other comments said, tie the two together.
these days hope in -or for- anything is a positive thing ... so long as there is balance.
Well, first of all Happy New Year! It was fun seeing your post. I LOVED it!!! Not having kids, I'm not really sure how one should approach it, but I do think that it is a bit silly. I highly recommend the Rick Steve's Europe at Christmas special. My mom and I saw it and love it. I know some people think Rick Steves is for the birds, but I find it interesting. Santa was introduced as after a tradition of having an angel giving the presents to children on Christmas day. The gifts were to represent gifts that the Savior would have given us on the day of his birth. But, the Germans thinking that children might be freaked out with a baby Jesus giving them gifts decided that an angel would give the gifts on behalf of Jesus, and some how this turned later into being Santa. I like the spiritital part you talked abuot and I think I would pass that on to my children. Better for them, and fun. I know my parents gave us the fun presents, but even those had some kind of meaning.
Moving on, I hope you all are doing well. We need to talk and catch up! Loves!
Makena is only 7 and I think the kids at school told her because she looks at me with questions in her eyes, but too scared to ask.
It really is fun, but man is it hard work. I'm totally bad at it. I just started doing the wrapping paper thing last year. And I forgot to have Santa take their notes. Not to mention that there is no place but the attic to hide their stuff and so I'm constantly panicking that they will wake up.
It really does get better as the little ones get older. Makena didn't even get it until kindergarten and Bode already did this year because of his big brother and sister.
For me it is just one of my favorite childhood memories coming downstairs and seeing all the presents. It is such a short time that they believe in this stuff that it seems worth savoring.
I love reading the book The Polar Express, I swear it makes me cry at the end everytime, hearing about the adults that can't hear Santa's bell anymore.
No way. I NEED Santa as a bribe/coercion of good behavior from November 1 on. "Santa's watching" "Santa calls mom's to check in on how you're behaving" and other myriad and sundry lies.
In our family Santa doesn't wrap he leaves fruit, candy, toiletries and such in a stocking and then maybe one good present for everyone. Or one present for the family to share.
Christmas is already so commercial and about the gifts anyway no matter how much you emphasize the Savior by tradition(the Christmas story being read, nativity enacted etc>). And I think we all need to enjoy and embrace the fun of the season in whatever way brings the most joy to the kids.
It's what you do the other seasons of the year to remember Christ that will leave the biggest impression anyhow.
Avery had cousins who told her Santa isn't real and she says "I believe he is real, so he is" And she proudly wears a button with a picture of Santa that says "I believe" which we got at Macy's. I'm pretty sure she can wear that and her CTR ring at the same time and not get confused about her eternal destination or her purpose on earth.
Avery wants to know if you're dead in this picture. I told her you were just tired.
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