Not 'doing' Santa

OrkneyStar

And it seemed this thread had ended on a nice note yesterday....*sigh*.

Peater

My my. What a thread.

My 2-penneth: I was sold the whole Father Christmas & Tooth Fairy lines when i was a kid. My folks did such a good job that i believed until i was 11 years old. I defended it when people said they didn't exist and dismissed them as idiots.

When i started adding things up and had suspicions, i confronted my parents and they told me that none of it was really true.

That was a turning point in my life, i felt so betrayed by the people i trusted completely that i was quite depressed for about 9 months and had insomnia.

I came out of it, but have been left totally cynical and question absolutely everything i am told now. Which, i think is a good way to be as i think i can see through alot of the BS in life. But, am i any happier because of it? Probably not. I actually quite envy people who take pleasure out of garbage like X-Factor etc, they seem much happier with their lot.

While Santa makes Xmas 'magical' for children, it teaches them bad habits about materialism. The only good thing is that it can be used as a bargaining chip to garner better behavior - "Don't do that or you'll go on Santa's 'naughty' list etc. Which is a means to an end i guess, but not very honest and can back-fire later in childhood if and when they work out its all baubles.

balletshoes

Peater wrote: »

My my. What a thread.

My 2-penneth: I was sold the whole Father Christmas & Tooth Fairy lines when i was a kid. My folks did such a good job that i believed until i was 11 years old. I defended it when people said they didn't exist and dismissed them as idiots.

When i started adding things up and had suspicions, i confronted my parents and they told me that none of it was really true.

That was a turning point in my life, i felt so betrayed by the people i trusted completely that i was quite depressed for about 9 months and had insomnia.

I came out of it, but have been left totally cynical and question absolutely everything i am told now. Which, i think is a good way to be as i think i can see through alot of the BS in life. But, am i any happier because of it? Probably not. I actually quite envy people who take pleasure out of garbage like X-Factor etc, they seem much happier with their lot.

While Santa makes Xmas 'magical' for children, it teaches them bad habits about materialism. The only good thing is that it can be used as a bargaining chip to garner better behavior - "Don't do that or you'll go on Santa's 'naughty' list etc. Which is a means to an end i guess, but not very honest and can back-fire later in childhood if and when they work out its all baubles.

but thats your version of Santa - its not mine. As I said before, my Santa never had a bottomless purse, he had a budget, because Mum and Dad helped pay for the presents. And I personally don't like using Santa as some kind of threat to get kids to behave, there really is no need to do that.

As I also said before, I found out on a Christmas Eve for sure that Santa didn't exist, but it hasn't scarred me, it hasn't put me off introducing the same Santa magic for my own child. She no longer believes, but now she is helping keep the myth alive for my youngest niece, and she feels grown up doing it.

And whats this talk of Disney movies not being real :eek::eek::eek: - well thats well and truly burst my bubble :rotfl:!

OrkneyStar

I saw toilet paper with santa's on it, sorry to be so blunt, but that summed up my feelings about santa!

Peater

balletshoes wrote: »

And I personally don't like using Santa as some kind of threat to get kids to behave, there really is no need to do that.

Good on you.

Now we just need to tell that to anyone of faith (replacing the word 'Santa' with God/Jesus/Allah etc)

shegirl

broace wrote: »

Well normally Parent's would not let their very young Children sit on a complete strangers knee.

Don't know about you but the majority of photo's i've seen of baby/toddler sitting on santa the kids don't look too pleased!

Kids aren't allowed to sit on santas knee anymore,you have to sit beside him.

That's thanks to boring,daft people who think that all men are potential fiddlers and it's shocking for a child to sit on a mans knee:mad:

Just what do you think Santa is going to do?

Some people really need to get a life I'm afraid. Kids have been sitting on Santas knee for years. Get over it!

OrkneyStar

Peater wrote: »

Good on you.

Now we just need to tell that to anyone of faith (replacing the word 'Santa' with God/Jesus/Allah etc)

I have faith (in God), I don't use any God-related threats to enforce behaviour. I do tell him what we believe (we being his parents and a lot of our friends) but that some folk don't believe that too (and might believe in another god(s)).
That is what we do, I accept you might not, but nothing you say will make me think this is wrong.

shegirl

broace wrote: »

Well normally Parent's would not let their very young Children sit on a complete strangers knee.

Don't know about you but the majority of photo's i've seen of baby/toddler sitting on santa the kids don't look too pleased!

The babies/toddlers,when not smiling are looking confused most of the time.

There is NOTHING wrong with sitting on Santas knee, but once again some people have to spoil it for others

OrkneyStar

shegirl wrote: »

Kids aren't allowed to sit on santas knee anymore,you have to sit beside him.

That's thanks to boring,daft people who think that all men are potential fiddlers and it's shocking for a child to sit on a mans knee:mad:

Just what do you think Santa is going to do?

Some people really need to get a life I'm afraid. Kids have been sitting on Santas knee for years. Get over it!

I don't really see the difference, surely sitting beside him is just as fine as on his knee? And poor Santa doesn't have to be squished under the more 'generously proportioned' kids?

shegirl

OrkneyStar wrote: »

I don't really see the difference, surely sitting beside him is just as fine as on his knee? And poor Santa doesn't have to be squished under the more 'generously proportioned' kids?

There was always something nice about sitting on his knee with his arm around you. Made it more real and special than just sitting near him.

But as somebody who doesn't like Santa you wouldn't get it would you.