Here's the Honest Truth.
I DON'T want my kids to believe in Santa. I don't like the idea of lying to my kids. And, as a Christian, I don't like the idea of telling them that someone (Santa) exists, then them finding out it is all a lie, yet also trying to teach them the existence of a God, who they also cannot see or meet, but are expected to just believe in.
The trouble with this really is that I don't want my kids to ruin it for anyone else. I don't want to be the mom of the kid who tells everyone in pre-school that there is no santa. It is a nice idea. And, frankly, we haven't talked too much about Santa to the kids. We have done the requisite pictures. We have a few books. But really, even Elf doesn't understand when I ask her what she wants for Christmas, or when someone asks her what she wants Santa to bring her.
I will admit right here: I "suggest" to Elf what she might want for Christmas. After I have done my shopping. So this year, when she visited Santa, I "suggested" that she might want a dollhouse. Just like last year I "suggested" that she might want a train set. But really, we don't have any disappointment. Sure, at some point, she will start having wants of her own, but it works fine for right now.
I am still trying to figure out what we are going to do about Santa. I guess we will just keep going the way we are now- staying low-key about it, not really bringing him up, but not really telling the kids one thing or another. See where it leads us.
One direction that it DOES lead us is that damn elf. We don't have an elf. I don't want an elf. As a mom, I have enough to worry about (are the dogs fed, do the kids have clean clothes, did I remember to pick up my child at school) and I just don't need to worry about moving a stupid elf. I don't have any problem with those of you that have an elf. More power to you. It just isn't for me. Though... my grandmother does have some vintage elves that look just like the elf on the shelf. So maybe, if the kids ever ask, we might aquire an elf to come and visit. But he will NEVER EVER make a mess in our house that I have to clean up. And there will NEVER EVER be an elf on a toilet in our front yard!
I'm struggling with the whole Santa thing too. I was the third of six children and I don't remember ever believing in Santa. I'm sure that's because my older sister ruined it for me (clearly I didn't care). We all pretended and put out cookies, milk, and carrots for the reindeer of course, but it was all just fun.
ReplyDeleteNow I have to figure out how explain to Katie that it's just a game and that he isn't real without her being the one to kill it for everyone else too. I'd love to hear what works for you guys because I have no clue what we're going to do here....especially since some of her older cousins still believe :/
Two thoughts
ReplyDelete1) when my mom and aunt were little growing up as a few of the only Jews in the area my grandma got then stock and said there was Santa. MY grandma Eda did not want her kids ruining it for the others. As a note this is the same area where one boy (who later became a close friend of my mom to this day 60+ years later) was telling the kids in school that jews were green with horn that what he priest taught him.
2) fast forward to now I tell my Santa is for the other kids you light candles see how that goes