Not 'doing' Santa

OrkneyStar

CH27 wrote: »

There really are some joyless people around.

Where?
Everyone on here seems quite full of their own sort of joy, just that we differ on how we express that joy.

splishsplash

I lied to my children all the time, still do. It's a parenting style I like to call joking.

I don't ever recall threatening my children, but I certainly remember winding them up to the nth degree. The escalating levels of excitement in the days coming up to Christmas was all part of the fun. If they weren't bouncing off the ceilings by Christmas Eve, I would have felt like I was doing it wrong (I never did it wrong ).
I have lovely memories of them marching themselves up the stairs, all desperately trying to be the best they could be, trying to help each other be quiet, stifled giggles and hoots, bursts of laughter quickly muffled when it all became too much, ahh, lovely.
Then the whole palavar of getting the gifts out of hiding, putting the whole scene together (including the labels written in French Script in dark green), the slight panic that the kids would wake before it was all done, the slight panic that I would fall asleep before getting the gifts... all added to the warm fuzziness that was Christmas Eve.

I can't agree it doesn't deprive children to not have the Santa Claus thing. The whole thing is an experience, and surely it is all the new experiences that we provide for our children that allow them to learn new things, enrich their lives, broaden their minds etc. Think of anything you do to benefit your children - there are few things that they can't do without, but all probably add something new - another layer or dimension to their personalities. Much like the child who does dancing, singing, karate, horseriding, etc. They will grow up if they don't do any of those things, but the poorer for it.

Spendless

I'm glad the subject of lying to kids has come up. Last night my nearly teen mentioned a child who left in yr5, who he belived had moved in order for her Mum to persue a career abroad. I told him that the real reason she'd left was because her Mum had married a drug dealer who hospitalised her and went to prison for it. When he was due to be released the police told her she had to get away from the area. He was far, far more shocked to hear that than the revelation Santa wasn't real.

Treevo

OrkneyStar wrote: »

Where?
Everyone on here seems quite full of their own sort of joy, just that we differ on how we express that joy.

I've never heard it referred to as joy before.

seashore22

Well, I've now asked my daughter whether not doing Father Christmas was a problem for her. She is in her twenties now by the way. Apparently is wasn't.

I believe her because we have nicknamed her the Christmas Fairy as she loves Christmas so much. It's not even the presents that make it special. It's the Christmas tree loaded with the decorations that we have collected over the years, the family getting together, a huge, yummy Christmas dinner, my traditional meltdown in the kitchen (will somebody please help?!!!!!!).

We love Christmas, with or without Santa.

balletshoes

skintchick wrote: »

Janepig, you might not like parenting styles being named like that, but they are, and the names usually indicate a broad style of parenting. Of course, people don't necessarily do everything that one style stands for (I'm a crunchy but I didn't cloth-nappy in the end), but generally we all do fall into one camp or another.

But heres the thing - I'm guessing most of us parents don't even know there are "camps" or names for parenting styles - we just do what we think is best for our children and our families. I have no idea what a crunchy is for example (well apart from the chocolate bar :rotfl:). So if we've no idea what the camps are (or even that they exist), how can we be pigeonholed into one of them?

seven-day-weekend

Just read further into the thread and someone said would you lie by saying an injection would not hurt. No I wouldn't.

Our son had his appendix out when he was seven. We told him having the operation would not hurt because he would be asleep, but it would hurt a bit afterwards, but the Drs and nurses had medicines that would help and that the pain was all part of the healing and would make him better. He was fine with that. No way could we have told him he would have no pain!

edeneve

I'm not religious, my bf is muslim and we love xmas. You don't have to be religious to make xmas magical. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have presents-you can make them.

I cannot imagine a childhood without the magic of make believe and father xmas. Kids grow up far too quick and a little time of pure dreams is fun for them.

I grew up with a family who when eldest of 4 kids turned 9 turned jehovas witnesses and banned xmas-years later they held it against their parents for missing out on xmas.

OrkneyStar

Treevo wrote: »

I've never heard it referred to as joy before.

I don't understand your post, what is the 'it' you refer to?
Some one had mentioned 'joyless people' and and I had posted in response to that.

Treevo

OrkneyStar wrote: »

I don't understand your post, what is the 'it' you refer to?
Some one had mentioned 'joyless people' and and I had posted in response to that.

I was just saying how full of joy you seem. You should try Dulcolax, because you seem to positively brimming with joy.