Not 'doing' Santa

quantumleap

notanewuser wrote: »

Absolutely nothing. Point was that we don't believe in any religion, so we'll be teaching what others believe, both in terms of organised religion and santa.



Does the tooth fairy have the monopoly then? Can't me/her dad/one of her teddies do something to mark the loss of a tooth (and another milestone?)



Absolutely agree with this. Thank you.



I'd love to know why you (and others) assume we won't be doing anything at all, and that DD will in any way whatsoever think she's missing out.



For many, perhaps, but not for all.



We spend time with our DD every single day too, but Christmas is probably the only time she gets to spend any real time with her extended family, who all live 200+ miles from us in any direction. Yes, we see them for weekends throughout the year, but they're pretty rushed (we try to see 6 sets/14 people in about 48 hours each time). Christmas is pretty much the only time that everybody has a bit more time to spend together. As such, those times are and will be pretty damn special for DD. That's what I mean by spending time together!



We won't be telling her he isn't real. We intend to tell her that some people believe that santa brings presents in the same way that some people believe in this god or that god and let her make up her own mind!

I didn't plant the magic biscuit/dragonfly idea into her head, and I shan't be putting the santa idea into her head. I don't encourage it, but she talks to me about it and I ask her questions about it. If she picks santa up from elsewhere, that's fine. If she becomes a catholic in the future that's fine too - because it will be her decision, not ours. Do you really not understand the difference here?!

eg "Mummy, in school they say that Jesus came back after he died. Is that true?" "Well, darling, some people believe that, and as long as you don't use that as a reason to hurt others, that's okay."

Of course I understand the difference OP and I don't appreciate the question.

Your whole point here is that you "don't do Santa" but now your essentially saying that she "can make up her own mind".

So if she comes home from school to say that Santa is bringing all of her friends presents on Christmas Eve and wanting to know if he is coming to her, will you say NO he is not coming to you, there is no Santa but Mum & Dad will bring you gifts?

margaretclare

Gloomendoom wrote: »

The what? :eek:

I think 'eater bunny' was meant to be Easter Bunny.

This creature is yet another misappropriation and distortion of something from long ago, namely, when the pre-Christian goddess Eostre was invoked to celebrate springtime, the hare was her totem animal.

notanewuser

balletshoes wrote: »

so will you be doing a stocking ie something from Santa/St Nicholas, if she believes?

She has a stocking (my nan bought it for her when she was born) which hasn't yet been used. Quite like the idea of using it to tell the story of st Nicholas rather than the "Santa came down the chimney" approach.

warehouse

notanewuser wrote: »

Have you read those that actually (and very eloquently) agree with my point?

I have, have you read the others?

balletshoes

notanewuser wrote: »

Not one of my "lifelong memories of Christmas" involves Santa at all.

maybe thats why those of us who do want to perpetuate the Santa story want to do it so much - because Santa was and is a huge part of Christmas to us. I'm in my 40s, I still love "the night before christmas" poem, and I cry every time I watch Polar Express - because I want to hear the bell, still .

neneromanova

margaretclare wrote: »

I think 'eater bunny' was meant to be Easter Bunny.

This creature is yet another misappropriation and distortion of something from long ago, namely, when the pre-Christian goddess Eostre was invoked to celebrate springtime, the hare was her totem animal.

Nope, Eater Bunny, The bunny that follows the Easter bunny and eats all your eggs

AKA mummy

jellyhead

balletshoes wrote: »

maybe thats why those of us who do want to perpetuate the Santa story want to do it so much - because Santa was and is a huge part of Christmas to us. I'm in my 40s, I still love "the night before christmas" poem, and I cry every time I watch Polar Express - because I want to hear the bell, still .

My 7 year old has already told me he doesn't really fancy watching The Polar Express with me this time :eek:

When we walk round Birches Valley he thinks it's sweet that I think the fairy houses are real, and he always humours me, so I'm hoping he will relent ... would it be sad to watch it on my own?

fluffybunny_2

notanewuser wrote: »

We won't be telling her Santa doesn't exist, but we also won't be saying he does. Is it really that hard to understand this?!

so how exactly will you tell her?

Each year she goes back to school and all the other children are excited and ask her what she got from Santa. She says, "Nothing at all"
How is a young child supposed to comprehend that she is different from all the other children?

Did you have Santa when you were growing up? I assume you did as your Nan gave a stocking for your daughter when she was born.

I am curious as to how you both came to this decision.

balletshoes

jellyhead wrote: »

My 7 year old has already told me he doesn't really fancy watching The Polar Express with me this time :eek:

When we walk round Birches Valley he thinks it's sweet that I think the fairy houses are real, and he always humours me, so I'm hoping he will relent ...
would it be sad to watch it on my own?

not at all - you can have a good old sniffle without having to nip into the kitchen to make yourself an emergency cup of coffee in case your child says "mum are you crying at this again" :rotfl::rotfl:

Person_one

margaretclare wrote: »

I think 'eater bunny' was meant to be Easter Bunny.

This creature is yet another misappropriation and distortion of something from long ago, namely, when the pre-Christian goddess Eostre was invoked to celebrate springtime, the hare was her totem animal.

You say misappropriation and distortion, I say evolution and development.

Should things be either preserved exactly as they begun or discarded? Change is not always bad!

(Although we never really had the Easter bunny as 'bringer of eggs' and neither did any of my childhood friends, it was just a background character, maybe that's more regional?)