Which way around should it be?

milliebear00001

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Another thought is that the media and TV in particular virtually ignores the Christian aspect of the day.

Isn't Carols from Kings enough? There's the other really boring morning service on telly too of course. I would assume most people who want it, will be off to Church on the day, leaving those of us who don't believe to monopolise the TV schedules with Toy Story 3 and suchlike.

jellyhead

RAS wrote: »

You will have to be very very careful when you do this, unless you quarantine him for half the year.

That is my view but.... if your child goes round telling other children that Santa does not exist, he and you will be cast out socially.

Is he going to be capable, at the age of three say, of understanding that you and he do not believe in Santa but he is not allowed to say this in front of other children?

Does anyone else find it really depressing that it is pretty much half the year that people go on about christmas?

I don't know any Jehovahs Witnesses well enough to ask them how they handle this, but the ones I know from school (who are 4 when they start) seem fine. They are popular enough with the other kids and they are not ostracised for what they don't believe in.

The other kids probably just assume that santa doesn't come to people who don't want him to.

My eldest started school knowing full well that the tooth fairy wasn't real, yet he didn't upset anyone else with the knowledge.

My youngest is now 6 and he realises that some people don't believe in God - not just that they don't go to church but they actually say they think it's nonsense. He is ok with them not believing, it doesn't stop him from believing.

As long as Mildred's child isn't unkind then I'm sure the other kids will just accept whatever it is that he believes at that point (which may be the whole thing, if like my eldest he takes everything that the nursery teacher tells him as completely true).

jellyhead

milliebear00001 wrote: »

Isn't Carols from Kings enough?

No, there must be a Salvation Army band playing carols on eastenders too!

Lotus-eater

mildred1978 wrote: »

I'll tell him that some people believe he is, just like some people believe in fairies, and that's okay.

That's a very good answer, but he's going to come back with, do you believe Mummy?

And if you say no, to a child that's telling them that he doesn't exist.

And he will ask straight away, he won't wait till he's 8

Oh, it's all so easy before you have kids yourself

mildred1978

Lotus-eater wrote: »

That's a very good answer, but he's going to come back with, do you believe Mummy?

And if you say no, to a child that's telling them that he doesn't exist.

And he will ask straight away, he won't wait till he's 8

Oh, it's all so easy before you have kids yourself

well, I'm sure I'll manage to cross that bridge when I get to it. I won't be conforming for everyone else's sake. That applies to taking him to McDonald's or buying him a play station too. Just because "everyone else does it" doesn't make it right

Lotus-eater

mildred1978 wrote: »

well, I'm sure I'll manage to cross that bridge when I get to it. I won't be conforming for everyone else's sake. That applies to taking him to McDonald's or buying him a play station too. Just because "everyone else does it" doesn't make it right

Those two things are completely different. It's not about conforming for everyone else's sake it's for his and his childhood.

Anyway, look, I don't think you are a bad Mother, nor a lunatic, I just think your well based ideas, aren't that practical and don't consider what childhood should be like. But he obviously is your son and you do what you consider is right.

oneacourt

Just accept the cards or pressies and smile. Don't be dogmatic or (God forbid) "religious" about it.

barbiedoll

milliebear00001 wrote: »

Really? I hadn't noticed a particularly Islamic focus in the UK media.

I think it might be more to do with this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/dec/23/religion.topstories3

It's quite a sad reflection of society today, isn't it?

In the real world, believers and non-believers rub along together quite happily, it's just that a tiny minority of fanatics grab all of the headlines and sow the seeds of distrust, fear and antagonism. Whilst I do feel that religion can be divisive, I would not agree that religion should be "banned" or that Christians should not have access to religious programming on state-owned television channels. I disagree with faith schools (for example) but that's only because I feel that children should be free to choose the religion of their choice and not be indoctrinated into their parents religion without their informed consent. But that's just my opinion and I realise that I'm lucky enough to live in a country where I have a choice of where to send my child to school, or indeed, to have a school to send him to.

I don't think that religion should be divisive, it should be a personal matter and it should be no-one else's business who, or what, is worshipped by individuals. If Christmas for you is a celebration of Christ's birth, then good for you. If it's just an excuse to pig out and watch Disney films with a glass or two of something alcoholic, then go ahead and enjoy!
Aren't we lucky to have the freedom to choose?

rachbc

mildred1978 wrote: »

well, I'm sure I'll manage to cross that bridge when I get to it. I won't be conforming for everyone else's sake. That applies to taking him to McDonald's or buying him a play station too. Just because "everyone else does it" doesn't make it right

Ahh you sound like me when my son was 14 months old. Now he's nearing 14 we have a PS3, wii and xbox and had to tell him santa wasn't real when he started high school - mind you at that age he wasn't going to go to school I was going to home ed! (We never made a big deal of santa but he still he didn't believe us when we told him it wasn't real). Fortnately he came to his own decision that Maccie D's is carp aged about 6

Sambucus_Nigra

mildred1978 wrote: »

well, I'm sure I'll manage to cross that bridge when I get to it. I won't be conforming for everyone else's sake. That applies to taking him to McDonald's or buying him a play station too. Just because "everyone else does it" doesn't make it right

No, but it's really really [and I mean really] hard to avoid buying them the thing they really really [and I mean really] want because THEY want to conform. I said I'd never get my nieces dolls, but when they asked for them...well...I couldn't say no.