Need help thinking up an excuse for Santa

notanewuser

Nicki wrote: »

This whole debate started because Not a New User and Judi were both unable to respect that the OP and many others do things differently to them, and decided to butt in to a thread about something different to tell the OP and other posters that they were wrong to do it that way and were lying to their children.

Actually I merely corrected the OP's assertion that it was her 6 year old's insomnia that caused the issue. If the OP didn't do the Santa thing (which is ultimately a lie - for whatever reason) them she wouldn't have been having to think up more lies about why the presents were there. It was a correction of the fact, not a judgement.

Nicki wrote: »

I don't care in the slightest how people choose to celebrate Christmas with their children, I just feel pretty strongly that doing it one way does not make you a superior parent to doing it a different way, and I object to "randoms on tinterweb" as quidsy put it so beautifully chucking around suggestions that my children will not trust me for the rest of their lives for allowing them to believe the same fantasy that most of their class do

At no point have I mentioned being a superior parent! Perhaps your own insecurities peeping out there.

As for your Greta-Garbo-eque rankings about your kids not trusting you, that also isn't what I said. I said that the DISAPPOINTMENT of being lied to has stayed with both DH and I, mainly due to having to continue THEIR lie "for the sake of" our younger siblings.

Nicki wrote: »

Takes all sorts but Not a New User's description of how her family celebrates Christmas would not be for me at all. We like some fun and hilarity in our family and to make Christmas a bit special. I'd need Santa to visit and bring with him a year's supply of Prozac if I had to do it their way

Yeah, we don't have any fun or hilarity. We sit and look at the blank tv screen while making DD sit silently for the whole week.

Georgiegirl256

iammumtoone wrote: »

I don't think you are hurting him of course you are not, there are plenty of instances of children being hurt and abused, choosing not to believe in Santa is definitely not one of those.

But in the same instance, people who do chose for their children to believe in Santa (or lie to them as some would have it) I don't believe are hurting their children either.

I believe that the children who don't believe in Santa maybe miss out on some of the chat/fun of it with their friends (as I think everyone will agree the majority of people do take part in the tradition of Santa) and they miss out on maybe a extra bit of magic at Christmas, BUT that certainly isn't going to hurt them, it also won't do them any damage in the long term either, they will remember Christmas as a time of love and affection, they wont remember it as the time Mum and Dad didn't believe.

Much the same as a child that does have the tradition of Santa, they too will remember it as a time of love and affection (with the added memory of leaving out mince pies ), I don't believe they will remember it as the time Mum and Dad lied to them.

That last paragraph sums it up perfectly. I remember putting out mince pies and a glass of sherry for Santa and milk and carrots for the reindeer. In my young mind, it made Christmas magical. I think it's a lovely tradition. I certainly don't think that my parents lied to me, it's all about play and make believe, and when you think about it, what is wrong with that?

BJV

Op think everyone has already said so many suggestions you will be able to pick one that suits.


We have a 10 and 7 year old and both still believe in Farther Christmas. We say that Farther Christmas brings some and others we just have to pick up. We simply said it was a time issue in that he did not have the time to be able to deliver everything.


For example one of Santas helpers may say or we may get an emial from santa that we have to go to a certain bike shop.


We have to tell them their names and they give us something to store until xmas day.


Ref the santa or not question it is very personal. For me I really do think that life is hard and it gets harder so we wanted our children to believe the magic as long as possible.


Tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, the whole lot!

poet123

notanewuser wrote: »

Actually I merely corrected the OP's assertion that it was her 6 year old's insomnia that caused the issue. If the OP didn't do the Santa thing (which is ultimately a lie - for whatever reason) them she wouldn't have been having to think up more lies about why the presents were there. It was a correction of the fact, not a judgement.



At no point have I mentioned being a superior parent! Perhaps your own insecurities peeping out there.

As for your Greta-Garbo-eque rankings about your kids not trusting you, that also isn't what I said. I said that the DISAPPOINTMENT of being lied to has stayed with both DH and I, mainly due to having to continue THEIR lie "for the sake of" our younger siblings.


Yeah, we don't have any fun or hilarity. We sit and look at the blank tv screen while making DD sit silently for the whole week.

!!!!!!.

Really, is there any need for that?

If the disappointment of being "lied" to and having to continue their lie about Santa has stayed with you both into adulthood that is a real issue. Most people grow up and accept that their parents created a magical fantasy and for a while they were part of it. Then they want to create that magic for their own children.

It is a fun tradition, not a "lie", really I do think some people make problems where there are none.

aileth

I think me and my sister were too smart for our own good. We were absolutely convinced by about the age of seven that Santa didn't exist and that our father was (!!!) LYING TO US. We made a plan to find out once and for all and I remember us being well chuffed that we were going to catch our dad out.

I remember going to bed christmas eve and when we were convinced our parents had also gone to bed, we snuck downstairs and hid behind the sofa. I don't remember anything after that, because as it turns out we both fell asleep and my mum panicked as we weren't in our beds, before finding us there!

notanewuser

poet123 wrote: »

Really, is there any need for that?

If the disappointment of being "lied" to and having to continue their lie about Santa has stayed with you both into adulthood that is a real issue. Most people grow up and accept that their parents created a magical fantasy and for a while they were part of it. Then they want to create that magic for their own children.

It is a fun tradition, not a "lie", really I do think some people make problems where there are none.

You're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine.

And I don't think it unreasonable that my points be recounted accurately, hence my retort. Perhaps that poster could make sure she understands before misquoting me in future.

Georgiegirl256

notanewuser wrote: »

You're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine.

And I don't think it unreasonable that my points be recounted accurately, hence my retort. Perhaps that poster could make sure she understands before misquoting me in future.

To resort to personel insults in an argument about Santa is a new low! Was there really any need to resort to that?

notanewuser

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

To resort to personel insults in an argument about Santa is a new low! Was there really any need to resort to that?

And Nicki's line about Prozac wasn't?

Georgiegirl256

notanewuser wrote: »

And Nicki's line about Prozac wasn't?

Admittedly it probably wasn't the nicest thing to say.

gingin_2

notanewuser wrote: »

And Nicki's line about Prozac wasn't?

For what it's worth, despite agreeing with Nicki's earlier sentiments, I thought that was a particularly mean and unnecessary thing for her to say.