Not 'doing' Santa

quinechinoise

OrkneyStar wrote: »

I would have told him 'we hit a deer and it probably got hurt, quite badly'. That is nature and shielding kids from the reality of that, including death, is also something I wouldn't do.

^I agree but I would have just said "the car bumped into a deer". I'd only give a lengthy explanation if asked about it. It's not like they don't see other roadkill on a regular basis!

shegirl wrote: »

Loads of schools have Santa in! I don't actually know of any that don't.

^At my kids' schools, the teachers give gifts to the kids - from the teachers. Neither school has anyone dressing up as santa to distribute gifts from other people.

OrkneyStar

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

I don't think FC comes round my kids school although he was there at the Christmas party. I do recall however him coming round to my school some 30 years ago actually the run up to party day has y very best memories, making paper table mats using rubber stamps, singing Christians songs like Santa got stuck up the chimney etc. Happy, happy days :D

Bottom line is some say its lying I say it's make believe. I know which I would rather go with

To me it is lying, I don't have a problem with it being make believe to you.
And I am glad you have many happy memories of Christmas. I do too, but most of them were in the knowledge that Santa wasn't real, yet still fun! I suppose it is what you make it ultimately.

OrkneyStar

quinechinoise wrote: »

^I agree but I would have just said "the car bumped into a deer". I'd only give a lengthy explanation if asked about it. It's not like they don't see other roadkill on a regular basis!

Perhaps your words are a bit gentler.......;)

Welshwoofs

phill99 wrote: »

Not allowing or encouraging your child to believe in Santa? What perfectly beautiful magic your child will miss out on?

What a ridiculous statement. Not believing in Santa doesn't equate to having an awful christmas or not finding magic in anything.

And I can imagine when your daughter is 5 and she goes round telling all her class mates that Santa is a lie, there is going to be a high number of traumatised children, for which their parents won't thank you.

Why would you think that a child would go round telling 'all' her class mates that Santa is a lie? I managed to get through childhood without announcing in class via loud speaker that I didn't believe...I even enjoyed the couple of Santa grottos I went to as a kid because it was fun and I got a present. Not believing in something doesn't equate to refusing to take part and spoiling it for everyone who does!

The problem with atheists is that they don't believe in any magic.

be·lieve

/biˈlēv/
Verb

• Accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of: "the superintendent believed Lancaster's story".
• Accept the statement of (someone) as true.

I don't believe in magic - do you? You believe in fairy folk, mermaids, unicorns, wizards and witches do you? Truly? You believe that I could cast a spell over you and turn you into a frog? I doubt it...unless you're writing to us from a secured unit somewhere.

Phil - you don't have to believe in something to enjoy it. I'm an atheist and I love sci-fi and fantasy. I'm hopping about excited about watching The Hobbit. Of course, I don't believe in it....because it's not real and I'm sane.....but I can immerse myself in it and find great enjoyment and enchantment in it none the less.

quinechinoise

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

singing Christmas songs like Santa got stuck up the chimney etc. Happy, happy days :D

Those are actually Christmas carols, not Christian hymns.

I remember going to a school church service at a Kirk, many years ago, and the old killjoy was busy preaching to us kids about the "evils" of singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer versus the merits of Away in the Manger, etc! Of course, as kids, we ignored him.

Bitsy_Beans

OrkneyStar wrote: »

To me it is lying, I don't have a problem with it being make believe to you.
And I am glad you have many happy memories of Christmas. I do too, but most of them were in the knowledge that Santa wasn't real, yet still fun! I suppose it is what you make it ultimately.

But what do you consider to be make believe? I assume your children have active imaginations? Why is Santa so different from other areas of make believe? Because grown ups collude in it? One (at a stretch) could argue I am doing the same when I have pretend tea parties with my DD. she believes she's giving me a cup of tea......should I not go along with the lie and drink the non existent drink? <

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is said tongue in cheek I grant you
I am really not being obtuse but I genuinely don't see what the big deal is <shrug>

Bitsy_Beans

quinechinoise wrote: »

Those are actually Christmas carols, not Christian hymns.

I remember going to a school church service at a Kirk, many years ago, and the old killjoy was busy preaching to us kids about the "evils" of singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer versus the merits of Away in the Manger, etc! Of course, as kids, we ignored him.

Sorry stupid ipad decided to autocorrect :mad: I meant Christmas songs not Christian now amended.

OrkneyStar

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

But what do you consider to be make believe? I assume your children have active imaginations? Why is Santa so different from other areas of make believe? Because grown ups collude in it? One (at a stretch) could argue I am doing the same when I have pretend tea parties with my DD. she believes she's giving me a cup of tea......should I not go along with the lie and drink the non existent drink? <

---

is said tongue in cheek I grant you
I am really not being obtuse but I genuinely don't see what the big deal is <shrug>

I have no problem with make believe, no problem with Santa as make believe, the problem I have is people trying to make out to their children that Santa is real, that he really exists, followed on by dislike of anyone else who doesn't do this (not directing this at you, but there has been this sort of feeling in the thread I think).
DS seems to love make believe, but he knows that is what it is, we pretend the teddies talk but halfway through he'll say 'mummy, it isn't real you know', as if to remind me! He dresses up as all sorts of heroes, doctors etc, he loves that sort of thing.

Bitsy_Beans

OrkneyStar wrote: »

I have no problem with make believe, no problem with Santa as make believe, the problem I have is people trying to make out to their children that Santa is real, that he really exists, followed on by dislike of anyone else who doesn't do this (not directing this at you, but there has been this sort of feeling in the thread I think).
DS seems to love make believe, but he knows that is what it is, we pretend the teddies talk but halfway through he'll say 'mummy, it isn't real you know', as if to remind me! He dresses up as all sorts of heroes, doctors etc, he loves that sort of thing.

I guess this is where our kids differ. Mine don't turn round and say this isn't real. They just carry on playing :rotfl:

I suspect I am labouring the point as I will probably just not get it but what is the crux of the problem of pretending he's real? I mean what is it about that which is so bad? Is it that we are leading our children on? That we should never ever lie? Is it that he's taking more focus away from the Nativity? Am genuinely interested.

JimmyTheWig

quinechinoise wrote: »

Those are actually Christmas carols, not Christian hymns.

I'm confused by this, now!
"When Santa got Stuck up the Chimney" isn't a carol. Neither is "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer", and the like.