"Do You Want Santa To Leave You Coal This Year?"

           Why do many Americans care so much about Santa Claus? Is it just a basic winter-time tradition or something more meaningful? If you are a parent that is celebrating this tree-decorating, present-wrapping tradition, you know all too well that this idea of "Santa" is much more than leaving cookies and milk out overnight for some bearded man that will climb through your chimney in the wee hours of the morning.
       Though many of us know Santa is not actually real, we should not allow the wonderful imagination of the younger, upcoming generations to be ruined by us. The magic of childhood is held together by the idea of imagination. When you take that away, there is no special meaning to growing up anymore.
       It is a big, exciting moment for a child when they go up to Santa's lap and he/she tells him what they want for Christmas. Adults should not ruin the bright light of the child's mind by crushing it with reality. The best part about being a kid is just that: not having to deal with the real world just yet. Telling them that Santa is not real from the very start may put a great boundary on what they will be able to imagine in the future while growing up, such as having imaginary friends and whatnot.
     Although, on behalf of those believing that kids should be told that Santa is not real, their argument is valid, too. It causes stress on the child to learn that a great part of their holiday season was a great, big lie. It may cause tension between family members, particularly between children and parents, and may cause an extra abundance of avoidable conflict. So, maybe there lies a good medium in the two arguments against whether or not the story of Santa should be told as real or not. Should kids be told at a certain age that Santa is not real? Or should they be left to find out on their own? Personally, I had to find out on my own by finding the Christmas presents stuck at the top of my mother's closet. Was I sad? No, I was more so enlightened by the fact that I was able to pick and chose what presents I actually wanted, instead of allowing some man that did not know me pick them for me.
      Telling your child that Santa is not real could potentially save you a lot of money by not buying unwanted toys, but what's the magic in that? For children, waking up on Christmas day and running to the tree with wrapped surprises underneath is the whole joy of this holiday. They don't know what's wrapped beneath the holiday-themed paper, and the anticipation for what's inside plays a really grand role in the whole holiday tradition.
    So all in all, should parents tell their children that Santa is not real, or should the children be left to find out on their own? Personally, I believe the children should find out Santa is not real on their own time, as they grow older and wiser with the world. Finding out fact from fiction is a part of growing older and is an even more important part of the maturing process. Allow your children to learn on their own time. After all, it's their life, not yours.

          

Why NOT Lie About Jolly Old St.Nicholas?

As parents know, Santa is not real. However, according to children, he's this really awesome old dude that flies around on a sled pulled by reindeer every Christmas and somehow manages to fit through your chimney and steals all your cookies and milk but leaves you presents in exchange. Personally, I feel like it's a symbol of youth and innocence to believe in Santa, and I DEFINITELY believe that parents should lie about it if the child believes in him already. Which parent would want to ruin their kid's excitement or joy of having Santa deliver him or her presents overnight? The kids enjoy going to the mall and meeting Santa Claus and telling him what they want for Christmas. Also, it's a good way to keep the kids from being annoying towards the end of the year because you can threaten them by saying Santa won't get them anything. And technically, there WAS a guy named St. Nicholas who gave good children gifts and bad children lumps of coal, so it's not really lying.


However, not only is the Santa myth fun for the kids, but it's also fun for the parents as well! They get to play pretend and dress up and assist the kids in making cookies and just watch the overall enjoyment of their child. Also, it's fun to watch how excited and eager the kids are to get their presents from Santa. Another fun part of spreading the Santa belief to their children is being able to help write and even mail letters to Santa and being able to write them a letter back from Santa.

Personally, coming from a non-Christian family, Christmas was never really an important holiday for us, so we weren't going to preach to my younger sibling about Jesus and all that other Christmas history. Therefore, the Santa myth kind of makes sense to tell them, only because they had no other understanding of why kids get presents on Christmas. So rather than making it seem like only a religious holiday, Santa is a way to make the kids happy and just enjoy their youth while they still have it.

Many parents choose not to tell their children about Santa because they're afraid that their children will be disappointed when they find out, but why would you want to deprive them of their childhood because of something that may or not happen later in the future? I think that they should be able to experience the excitement that Santa Claus brings to them, and the parents should worry about that whenever that time comes.

So overall, I believe that if a child believes in Santa, that his or her parents should encourage it rather than neglect the belief. It's a fun time in a child's life, and parents shouldn't deprive their children of that.

The Lies Need To Stop

The Lies Need to Stop.

            The mind of a child is malleable. I think a child, much like a pet, is trained in the first few years. Trained how to think, what to say, what to do, and how to react. You can tell a child almost anything with little to no proof and they will believe it. That's why they are so susceptible to believing in these made-up characters. So why do parents 

try to feed their children’s minds with the mystery of a man who can visit billions of kids in one night, or a tiny woman who gives away money for teeth, or a bunny who…what does the bunny even do? These fictional childhood characters are all lies and an inconvenience if I do say so myself. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to be careful not to reveal the secret around young, impressionable children who truly believe in these characters. 

I’m not trying to be the person who opened up a can of worms and led a child into frenzy because I revealed that Santa Claus does not exist. But in not doing so, I’ve also become a part of this master lie that started as a small white lie made by parents. I remember watching Grown Ups, and there was a scene where one of the moms accidentally let loose that the tooth fairy didn’t exist. That was the perfect time to just let her child know that all of it was fake. But no, she decides to lie and say that she works with the tooth fairy. Let’s be real for a second, parents need to be frank with their children. Instead of allowing them to idolize an old man who finds it relaxing to live in the coldest part of the earth, or a tiny woman who obviously has an obsession with teeth, or a bunny who I’m still trying to find the significance of, parents need to teach their children morals and manners. And I do not think lying to a child for the majority of their childhood sets a good example. Can I also throw in the fact that Santa Claus is a heartbreaker and dream crusher. 

What does a parent that has no money do with a child that has a long list for Santa Claus? When Santa Claus doesn’t follow through then what? Will that be the time to unravel the lies? Because Santa Claus has now also become an inconvenience to the parent? None of these characters would ever be an inconvenience if parents never introduced them into the lives of their children. All in all, I am completely against the use of these characters. If parents were honest with their children from the jump, there wouldn’t be any need for saving face during the holidays or every time a child lost their tooth. It’s time to get real. The lies need to stop.

Last Christmas, I Told You A Lie...

Since Christmas is just next month, I wanted to talk about parents that lie to their children about Santa Claus. I have one question. WHY? Why do they make up some fat, old, jolly guy and say he’s the one who brings them presents? Parents should not lie to their children simply because of three reasons: they could get more respect, their kids will also behave better, and lying is bad. Duh.

First, a really quick background information on how Santa Claus was originated. There was a man called Saint Nicholas who saw that the nobleman's daughters were poor, therefore he gave gifts to them anonymously because he didn't want to be praised for his kindness. Saint Nicholas' kind act became a trend. Although it is nice, I don't think it should continue anymore. Why? Your parents have some money, right? That's how you get gifts. But let's say that your parents didn't have any money that year. Will there be anyone who will leave gifts anonymously for you? It seems like a nice thing, but a kid waking up on Christmas morning to no presents is kind of depressing. He/she might ask, “Why didn't Santa leave me any presents?” Then they would have to compare themselves with other children that got toys from “Santa.” What I'm saying is that what about the children that don't get gifts? You can't cover up with "Santa couldn't make it all around the world." It's better to tell them the truth.

Also, why should some mythical guy get credit for all the presents YOU buy with your own money? I can understand why kids will be happier getting presents from someone that comes once a year but they can always understand that a present is a present. Whether it comes from your parents or Santa Claus, it is still a present! I think kids are more excited about the presents than the person who is giving it to them anyway. They don't appreciate you. If it's anyone, it's Santa Claus. I think that parents telling their kids that it's actually the parent that is giving them gifts will cause kids to behave better. Since these gullible little children think that Santa comes once a year, they won't remember him and his “naughty or nice” list. They don't think about Santa is "watching" them everyday (unless the month is december) because you tell them Santa will only give presents to those who are nice and coal to those who are naughty. On the contrary, if you tell your kids that Santa isn't real from the beginning, they will behave better. Since the children know it is actually the parents giving presents, they know how to behave because they are under their parent's supervision everyday. Also, don't even think about telling your kids that if they behave badly, they will get coal in their stockings. You're just lying to them again and every Christmas they will notice how they never get coal which means the behavior they have now (in school or at home) is acceptable and they will continue doing it.

Lastly, have your ever woke up Christmas morning and found the plate of cookies on the counter that you left for Santa Claus? Weird, right? I thought the man loved cookies! Now that’s where the suspicion gets started and you (the parent) is wondering how to tell your child Santa isn’t real. What's funny is that I wanted some stories on how someone told their kids that Santa isn't real but questions on HOW to tell their kids showed up. You know how google works, right? It shows searches that other people have searched before or recently. It must be hard for the parents to tell the truth because they know their kids will be very upset or even traumatized by the truth. You want to know how to solve this problem? Don't do it in the first place.

Save yourself from telling the truth about Santa Claus to your kids. Save yourself from the heartbreak, guilt, or whatever reaction you may get from your kids. Children are vulnerable. Don't ruin their life. 

“Once upon a time, there was a bird that took you out of a cabbage patch, carried, and delivered you to us when you were just a tiny baby.”

This is the absurdity that many parents tell their young children when describing to them the origin of human infants. They tell their children such a lie about something so important in order to “preserve their innocence,” but what these parents fail to realize is that they are only teaching their children to lie and crippling their children's minds/mental development.

First off, obviously, one day the child will learn the truth about how humans are created be it from friends, from the internet, or from a classroom environment. After discovering the truth, the child will think to his or herself, ‘Wow! My parents told me such an absurd lie about something so trivial for no apparent reason…I guess such lying is acceptable behavior.’ By lying to a child in order to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, a parent teaches that lying is acceptable and by subsequently teaching a child that lying is wrong teaches them that hypocrisy is also acceptable behavior.

Secondly, lying to one’s child does not mean that one is preserving their innocence and on the flip side, telling the truth does not mean that a child is automatically stripped of their innocence. It is generally accepted that children should remain ignorant of certain aspects of human nature. While this is true of some aspects of human society such as violence and atrocities, this should not be true of something as benign and un-corrupting as sex. The only reason American society sees sex as something that should be hidden from children is due to its conservative, religious roots. While exposing young children to violence and the dark side of human nature may corrupt their young, impressionable minds, exposing them to the ancient mechanism by which humans reproduce would cause no harm, but may instead serve to liberate their minds and provide necessary knowledge as to how the world works.

As they say, the truth shall set you free.

Santa are you a lie, like the cake!?

When we were young, we were told tales of Santa Claus and how he'd bring us presents if we were nice. As we grew older we've realized that these presents under the tree at Christmas were from our parents and that Santa was a lie. Then we think about all the other holiday figures that we've come to know and love, were they lies too? What other news are you going to toss on us? Is the cake a lie too? These are some questions that come to our minds when we see through the smoke and mirrors but was it really okay for our parents to enforce such an empty token economy?

According to Dr. Benjamin Siegel, when we were seven years old and younger, we went through a period called "fantasy life magic years (What, that's too much. I could barely understand that)." Basically during this period we're susceptible to the influence of the holiday stories that we all hold close to our childhood. But these are all going to become lies and will harm us right? No, it isn't really going to hurt us in the long run, but these myths emphasize the importance of morality and actually benefit us. But why tell us this lie in the first place? One word. Magic. Special moments or holidays just aren't as enjoyable without a little pizazz; not saying that time with the family is boring but when I was little, my definition of fun was completely different from my older family members. But magic is fake too! Stop being so pessimistic!  This magic isn't the one with smoke and mirrors that we can never imitate without being a magician, this magic is a child's imagination fuel. These myths engage a child's imagination and brings out many of life's joys.

So should parents lie about Santa and Co.? Meh, go for it. Not like it really harms us anyways, we all love the magic of holidays. Why? Why not!? Magic is like the icing on the cake, it just makes it a lot better so just stop downing the mood. When we come to realize that they're fake, we come to realize they're fake. There's not much to it. Sure it might have been a lie but we enjoyed the moments before right?Any-who! Holidays were a time meant to be enjoyed with your family and those myths were meant to spice up that time. Whether you freaked out when you found out that those myths were a lie after all, it won't hurt you in any way. This magic just gives us something to actually look forward to, other than that time with family. Sure Santa might have turned out to be a lie, which makes this easy to relate to "The cake is a lie!" Okay, the cake is a lie..? Just make your own cake and the cake isn't a lie anymore. Bottom line is, it's fine for parents to lie to their children about Santa and other myths. These myths just give us a little something to look forward for throughout the years of our childhood, making our childhood...a childhood.

Santa Claus's Secret

For years now, the debate whether to tell the truth about Santa Clause and other fictional characters has been brought up with valid points supporting each side. Those in support of telling kids the truth have continuously claimed the lie will impact the child’s trust in the parents and make the relationship distant. There have been studies done which do claim that being a consequence, but for many children that is not the case. As children begin to come into the age of reason, they slowly begin to dismiss the idea of Santa being real because of the simple logic that one old man with eight reindeer can’t possibly deliver presents to everyone around the world in one night. But until children get to that age, the thought of Santa Clause only beings join the Christmas spirit. Dr. Benjamin Siegel, a Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine, claims the ages in which children do believe in Santa are the child's prime years in developing their imagination.  The thought of Santa boost the their desire to believe in something bigger than they are. 

The way parents present Santa can have impact on how children take the truth later on. Typically parents continue the traditions they had as a kid and once their children do find out about the jolly old man, they share their stories of how when they were little they imagine all the same things. Santa is looked as more of a write a passage than way for parents to deceive their children. Of course there are those parents who use Santa Clause not bringing them any presents as a treat, but that should never be the image of Santa. The point of bringing him into Christmas is to have a positive image of someone wanting to give and share the joy of Christmas. To spread the cheer and happy times the holiday hopefully brings to people. Children should learn to appreciate what Santa meant to them and how Christmas itself wouldn’t have been the same without him. As they get older, they begin to go along with the story for their younger siblings. Sometimes, parents are the ones who feel worse when their children find out the truth about Santa Clause. They like seeing their children light up with excitement on Christmas morning, and how they had such a strong belief in all the myths about what was going on in the North Pole.  Kids don’t typically blame their parents for putting such a lie in their heads and ruining their childhood because of trying to make them believe in such a positive image. It’s an understood concept that parents are trying to make their kids happy and have a chance to believe in something they once believed in.

 Santa Claus: Innocent Fantasy or Harmful Lie?

Think back to the moment when you found out Santa Claus wasn't real. Did you feel heart broken, betrayed, or hurt? Did you feel like it was impossible to trust your parents ever again? Many children in their early years of age believe in Santa Claus, and for a few days out of a year they get extremely excited.

Children are over joyed when they know that Santa Claus is coming; they immediately get on their best behavior, bake cookies, write letters, and sing holiday songs to a man that that they believe can, and will grant all of their Christmas wishes. It may seem like it's all fun and games, but what about the children who can't separate real life and fantasy? Parents shouldn't lie to their children about Santa Claus being real. Why? Because children at young ages are fragile, and too hopeful. At an early age, the only people a child can truly trust is their mother and father, and once that trust between parents and children are broken, the child's innocence is also broken. For instance, Chaley-Ann Scott does a wonderful job of giving an giving an example of what breaking your children's trust can do. She states that lying to young children about Santa Claus can send them down a dangerous pathway, and that the lies can deeply affects a child's capacity to trust any adults from the point that they find out the truth about Santa Clause. She states how she still remembers the horrifying look on her sons face when he found out the truth about Santa Clause. She quotes, "He looked directly at me with such sad, tear-filled eyes and said, “I will never trust you again.”

Imagine you being a parent, and hearing your child say to you that they will never trust you again. Do you think that it is worth it? Do you think that a few years of lying to your little girl or boy about a fictional character is worth their trust, their hope, their love? I don't. Some children may even take the feeling of betrayal, confusion, and hurt into their adulthood lives. Lying to children about Santa Claus could also lead to long lasting effects on the parent-child relationship. Children may also feel unloved or unwanted when they are lied to about Santa Clause. For example, there are many families who can not afford gifts, candy, or toys for their children during the Christmas holidays. A young child will not know the true reason of why they are not receiving cool gifts like the other children.

At that age, all they know is that Santa is supposed to be this awesome man who brings them anything that they want. Society often tells children that if they don't receive presents from Santa, it is because they have been a bad child. So, what is a child in a low income family supposed to believe? Are they supposed to believe they are bad, or that they are unloved? Should they grow up to believe that something they did was wrong? Should they be left to wonder why they don't have perfectly wrapped gifts under their tree?  The answer to all of these questions are no. It should be a parent's duty to tell their children the truth about Santa Clause, so that no child grows up with trust issues or believing that they aren't a good person. Everyone deserves the truth.

Why should parents encourage Santa Clause to their children?

Hoh-Hoh-Hoh! Are you on my naughty list?

       One important holiday that parents know for their children is Christmas. It is a powerful holiday when kids embrace the spirit of winter joy. Not only Christmas is powerful holiday with joy, but also Christmas is one of those days that protects the children. The children makes Christmas come alive through their strong faith. There are presents, Christmas trees, colorful lights, stalkings, and snow. However, what is the purpose of all those wonderful events? Who is the icon of Christmas especially for young children?

         Santa Claus was a cartoon developed by the Dutch colonies as early in the 1773. The Dutch celebrated that day called St. A Claus. It is the same as Christmas eve when eve is celebrated under the name of Saint Nicholas.  The name of Santa Claus derives from Saint Nicholas of the Roman Catholic Church. Saint Nicholas is the saint of secret-gift giving during the era of Roman Empire. Nicholas would put coins inside people shoes during the fourth century after the birth of Jesus Christ. He gave free coins in stealth mode so nobody would recognize that the free money giver. So idea that Santa Clause cannot be seen came from Saint Nicholas maneuver like a ghost. For Christians children, Santa Claus as Saint Nicholas has been great inspiration to many Christian to believe the unseen. Santa Claus is an unseen model of the 21st century as well as Jesus because they both give gifts while being unnoticed. So when children feels depressed or anxious, just waiting for the holidays right after school, Santa is always there for the kids waiting to give presents with love, joy, happiness, and protection.

        A human being's childhood is one of the most important aspect of life and a healthy, positive childhood that would satisfy a human's inspiration of happiness. A significant, important part of childhood is built upon great holiday celebration, which makes Santa Clause on the top of the list. During Christmas break, the only thing a child can think of is Santa and his gifts while riding his rein-deers. He is a man riding a flying throughout the globe. This is the drive that pushes the child to be better than their parents. A child has exceeded in fantasy imagination far better than a mature parent. Fantasy imagination of Santa Claus gives children priceless amount of exuberance that would last about a little over a decade in their lives.

      Why should a parent not lie about Santa Claus? The devastating effect of parent lying about Santa Claus would rob a kid's childhood. Therefore, the parent would not protect but hurt their child. For a kid, there is no point of toys, games, and fun without Santa Clause. Kid see Santa Claus as a deliver of presents. When the parent, who is the closest human being a child can see, lies about Santa, the parent would scar the child strong belief of Santa because the greatest holiday spirit would be destroyed. In long-term effect, the child would go through depression, disappointment, discouragement, and fear. Parent should not lie about Santa Claus for the better future of their child. The youth creates the new future for themselves and others. The child's positive imagination like Santa is what drives them forward to build a future what their parents were not able to achieve. The parent's fantasy is the child's reality.

       

Why Lie?

The tale of Santa Claus has been widely used in the United States and in many other countries worldwide and it is passed down generation after generation because of the great memories it brings parents of their childhoods believing in the existence of such figure.

Some say that if children believe in Santa, Tooth Fairy, or any other nonexistent creature, it will help them use and develop their imagination skills. The thing is, children use their imagination regardless if parents tell them about these fictional characters. Instead, many others believe that it harms kids because once they find out, they will feel like they cannot trust their parents anymore, they have been deceived by the people that they thought would never lie, hurt, or disappoint them. On the other hand, psychologists state that lying to children about such imaginary figures do not benefit or harm children in any way. 

Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Growing up in Ecuador, where Christmas celebrations are very different from the ones in the U.S., I do not recall any memories of my parents seriously lying to me or my younger sister about this old, fat, bearded man who is nice enough to reward kids from all around the world if they behaved as best as they can through the entirety of the year. As the years go by, the people from Ecuador take different beliefs and celebrations from different countries and start to incorporate them with our original ways of celebrations. Same has happened with the Santa Claus myth. The main reason why this has happened is just to improve sales and boost the economy, but I am pretty sure that not many Ecuadorian parents actually make their kids believe that Santa brings gifts and that they should leave cookies for Santa and that he will come down the chimney (maybe because almost nobody has chimneys in their houses due to the great weather throughout the country). Ecuadorian children do not open gifts on the morning of the 25^th, we open gifts at midnight (cheers for not having to wait all night long!), when the whole family is celebrating the gathering and the loving atmosphere. Most Ecuadorian children know that their parents are the ones that get them presents, we just do not know what we are getting.

 Good thing that not deceiving children about Santa does not harm kids, otherwise we Ecuadorians and many others from different countries would be pretty messed up and would not be imaginative at all because we also do not get lied about Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy (Ecuadorians have something different for that). 

But if it does not harm or help kids, what should parents do? Lie or not lie? This is a difficult question that new parents face and are often unsure of what is best to do. Many parents have reported to feel bad about deceiving their kids but enjoy the fun of this tale but also they often worry about the time when it is time to tell their kids that it was all a lie or whenever they find out by themselves and show being upset at their parents for lying to them. But if you do not make you kids believe about this, your children will be the one in class telling all the other kids that Santa is not real and many will get upset at him. Just remember that telling the truth is the right thing to do.

I believe that parents should not make their kids believe in any kind of nonexistent figures, children can do that themselves with no problem. If I ever happen to have kids in the future, I would not want my 7 or 8 year old to be really disappointed of me and lose the trust s/he has given me. After all, s/he will have many other wonderful things to put his/her imagination to use without me having to get my hands dirty with deceive and have my kids distrust me afterwards.

ImaginationLand

Should parents lie to their children about the existence of Santa Claus? First of all, let me get this link out of the way http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-winter-is-it-okay-to-lie-about-santa.html. This website gave me some insight on another way to think about this whole question. When I first thought about whether or not parents should lie to their kids, I decided that they shouldn't. I say that because the children are going to be devastated when they find out the truth, (depending on what age the child actually finds out), and because the parent is setting their self up for double standard. The double standard is the parent telling the child not to ever lie to them, even though, the parent has lied to their child about multiple things. Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Superheros, and so on and so forth. But then I started to think about it. Why can't they lie about to their kids about Santa Claus? What's the harm? My parents lied to me about Santa Claus and I came out just fine. I assume your parents lied to you about Santa Claus and look at you, you came out just fine. Some came out better than others, but that's another topic for another day. To be honest with you, Santa Claus and the Tooth fairy and the Easter bunny are more realistic to us as a society than all of the other things we have to go through in our everyday life. I say that because we enjoy the concept of believing in magical and fantasy-like ideas. It makes us feel better and these beloved characters mean so much to us and have a special place in our hearts. I'm sure we all remember the South Park episode/movie named Imaginationland. (If you haven't, go watch it.) Here's a Youtube link to the part that of the episode that correlates to this topic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hmD4MTcq64. In this segment of the episode, Kyle talks about the impact that these fantasy creatures have had on our life, and more importantly, our way of life. These characters were here before we were born and they are going to stay here long after we are gone. Telling kids about Santa Claus doesn't actually require lying. Parents are simply encouraging their kids to take part in a fantasy. When parents take their kids to see a movie, or when they read their children a book all they are doing is encouraging the child to participate in this utopia.
I remember all of the excitement and joy I felt every Christmas morning waking up believing that Santa Claus presented me with the gifts under the Christmas tree. Now I would have been just as happy if my parents told me that they bought me those presents instead of Santa. But the holiday tradition is more valuable then the presents that are received on Christmas morning. The holiday season is my favorite season. Maybe because of Santa Claus, maybe because of the food. But because I know the holiday season is here, I am more happy than I have been this whole year. I will stay happy and when I have children of my own, I will tell them about Santa Claus and the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy. And I would bet my bottom dollar that they will come out just fine.

Lying for Santa's Sake

Think back to your childhood. It's Christmas Eve, and you and your siblings have left out freshly baked cookies and a glass of milk near the fireplace.  Empty stockings are hung on the mantel and there is nothing under the tree.  You lay in bed staring at the ceiling, praying for morning to come sooner.  You are waiting for one man and one man only.  He is a big jolly man who will fill your stocking and bring presents galore to stuff under the tree.  You are waiting for Santa Claus.

   

Parents choose to tell the Santa Claus lie to their children for their own good. Honesty is usually the best policy, but the Santa Claus lie is one exception.  Parents are only trying to enhance their child's imagination and give them a better childhood experience.  If this involves telling a small fib for their own good, then they should lie.  As long as young kids believe in fantasies such as Santa Claus, parents should just go with the flow. "Children ages 3 to 6 are deep into their fantasy life, and they are delighted when parents play along," says Adele Brodkin, Ph.D., senior child development consultant.  Psychologists have found that fantasies help children develop creativity, language, and cognitive skills.  White lies such as the Santa Claus lie show children that it is okay to believe in things that may seem impossible, and to ultimately chase their dreams.  Whether your kids are in preschool or high school, there are certain times when it's OK to fib. One of these times is the Santa Claus fib.

Although experts stress that truthfulness is crucial to a healthy parent-child relationship, they also agree that sometimes less than the whole truth can be a good thing. "A parent's job is to protect children and nurture their development," says Robin Altman, M.D., a child psychiatrist and medical director of the Children's Home of Reading, in Reading, Pennsylvania. "At times, that means telling a small lie — or holding back some of the truth — when they don't have the capacity to deal with all the facts yet."

Some argue that parents should not lie to their children about Santa because children may never forgive them and learn to not trust their parents.  But psychologists have found that these little lies of expedience are harmless if they are used sparingly. They actually help enhance children's imagination, teaching them that anything is possible.

Parents should continue to lie to their children about Santa. Believing in Santa was one of the best parts of my childhood, and everyone should experience this period of make believe as a child.  If the lie is small and harmless enough, like the Santa Claus lie, children will get over the initial heartbreak when told he isn't real, and they will learn to trust and ultimately thank their parents in the end.  Although my heart was broken when my older brother told me that Santa wasn't real, I'm very thankful that my parents lied to me about Santa Claus, enhancing my childhood and allowing me to believe in fantasies.

Should parents tell the truth about Santa Claus?

"Is Santa Claus Real?" 

Many parents wonder if it is okay to let your children believe in Santa Claus. According to child psychologist Bruce Henderson, it is not necessary to let the kids experience reality by telling the truth about who has really been putting the presents under the tree. When I was little my parents told me there is no such thing as Santa Claus. They never actually allowed us to believe in any of the childhood fantasy figures. So I never believed in Santa Claus.  I am sure that I still acted and lived like any other kids from school and I don't think I ever had any problem getting along with other kids who actually believed in Santa Claus. Just like any other kids were, I was always excited for Christmas. My brother, who also did not believe in any of the childhood fantasy figures, told me that dad would just give him money when he tried to put a tooth under the pillow. I asked my parents why they did not let us believe in Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, or The Tooth Fairy and they said they did not want to make us believe in things that aren't real.  So instead of telling me and my brother to wait for presents that Santa Claus is going to leave under the tree, my parents prepared the Christmas presents for us.  But I personally think it would have been better not knowing the truth about Santa Claus.  I'm not saying that the way my parents raised us is wrong but I'm thinking about letting my kids believe in Santa Claus because I think children should believe in Santa Claus so kids could be kids. 

 Even though the impact that these imaginary figures have on kids are all different, I can say that I was a little bit colder than my friends.  My older cousins also said that I did not act age appropriate when I was still childish in different ways. Many parents worry about deceiving their kids so they struggle to decide whether they should tell the real story or the myth about the imaginary figures. I can't say that teaching the children about deception, as parents are encouraging the children to believe in a lie, is always a good way to start but at some point children will naturally find out the truth about it and be disappointed.  And disappointment is something children will need to learn eventually, which is better for them to start learning with a disappointment that is not as serious as the disappointments that they will experience in the future.

Parents should let their children believe in Santa Claus and any other imaginary figures. Kids should be kids for how ever amount of time that they are given to enjoy being kids. They will eventually find out the truth about their imaginary figures and they will have to face the reality soon.  So until then, kids deserve to live in their own little imaginary world and get ready to find out the truth about everything in this world.

Should Parents Lie?

Should Parents Lie?

Even though we now know that fictional characters
such as Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny do not exist, we were very excited about the activities associated with them as children. Part of the innocence of our younger years was due to our obliviousness to the real world  realities. For this reason, parents should lie to their kids about the existence of Santa Clause and other holiday characters. Parents telling these little white lies serve no other purpose except to see their children get excited and smile. No child has ever grown up to be a criminal because their parents lied about the existence of Santa Clause. The experiences associated with these characters create memories that the family can cherish for an entire lifetime. I am almost positive that all of our parents or guardians have pictures from our first Christmas. Not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve due to the anticipation of what would be under the tree the next morning and shredding the wrapping paper off of what was there is something we can all relate too. Wondering how Santa was going to fit down the chimney and how he would make it to every other child's house before morning were thoughts we all had laying in bed on Christmas Eve. Can you imagine how your Christmas mornings would have been without these signature holiday traditions?  As children would we have really understood and appreciated all of the hard work and effort that went into the gifts we received for Christmas anyway?  Other characters such as the Tooth Fairy were also essential to our childhood. Why would anyone be excited about losing teeth? We all cried and were afraid when our teeth began falling out until we learned that we would be rewarded with money underneath our pillows. Going to school the next day bragging about the five dollar bill we retrieved from underneath our pillows was something we all looked forward to. Your parents placing this money under your pillow instead is not nearly as enjoyable. The Easter Bunny is another

fictional character with which several of the activities we had fun doing is associated with. Painting boiled eggs a variety of colors and rushing to the field where the eggs were hidden to collect more than your friends were some of the most fun activities of our childhood. If our parents would have told us the truth about these different characters it would ruin the entire spirit of the holidays for us. We would not enjoy movies such as the Polar Express which discusses a child's wild Christmas adventure to the North Pole. We also wouldn't be able to share these pivotal points in childhood with our friends. So is the knowledge of the true facts of these holidays really worth demolishing someone's childhood? Being exposed to what the holidays are really about would have robbed us of our childhood innocence. When we have children I am sure that majority of us will be helping our kids make cookies for Santa, putting money underneath their pillows, and painting eggs with to hide with them. This key experiences our how a family creates memories.

Don't Be a Grinch

I cannot quite remember when I first found out Santa was imaginary; however, I can remember the excitement of waking on Christmas Day and running to our family Christmas tree to see what presents Santa had left for me during his overnight journey.  The excitement would have most definitely been minimized if not completely gone had I known all along that all of those presents I had received over the years had come solely from my parents. Santa Clause encourages children to use their imagination and explore new ideas in their heads; why would a parent want to take the fun out of a holiday? Santa Clause is part of the Christmas tradition; what little kid do you know that does not have a picture sitting on Santa's lap in the mall or even with the Easter bunny? The anticipation of Santa coming to your house in the middle of the night is the most exciting part of Christmas in my opinion. 

Making cookies and leaving milk out for Santa to take with him and his reindeer on their long journey was a very rewarding feeling. Could you even imagine Christmas time without Santa Clause? No Christmas movies, no Rudolf, no Santa at the mall, and most importantly no cookies. I personally enjoy seeing little kids' faces light up the morning of Christmas or even when they are sitting on Santa's lap at the mall as they spew out their Christmas wish lists to the old man in a beard. Without Santa Clause, Christmas is simply not the same holiday that we all know and love; all of our comforting traditions would cease to exist. So parents, do not be a Grinch and take all the fun out of Christmas by being honest about Santa Clause, let your children enjoy their childhood and live out the Christmas experience to the fullest. 

Parents: Come Clean About Santa

Parents: Come Clean About Santa

Most parents know that lying to their children is wrong. But there has been one constant lie through the years that has been justified by every generation: the existence of Santa Claus. First off, lets look at why parents lie about Santa. Most would say it is because of two reasons, one being the tradition behind Mr. Claus, and the other, the lit-up faces of youth as they receive their presents.

            But are the smiling children worth it? Is the idea of Santa Claus simply a white lie used to expand the imagination of our kids? Or can it have a negative effect on a child. Chaley-Ann Scott fromt Psychcentral.com points out that an uncovered lie like such can affect a child’s capacity to trust adults. This could pose a real problem. I remember watching the sadness on my siblings’ faces as they caught my parents putting presents under the tree. They were heartbroken and full of questions: “Who puts the presents under the tree?” “Why would you lie to us?” “So he really isn’t real?”

            Lying to children about Santa Claus is quite unnecessary. Had this Christmas tradition not been so widespread, it would be easy for people to realize how ridiculous such fabrications are. Children can enjoy the magic of Christmas without the belief that a fat jolly man wearing a red sweat-suit somehow slides down your chimney and puts your favorite presents under your live tree sitting inside of your house.

            The main problem with the Santa Claus tradition is that it is not a story that one tells their children to broaden their imagination, these are real beliefs put into a child’s head. Parents take advantage of the fact that their children are not fully mentally developed and feed them lies to excite them.  Once children find out, an inevitable occurrence, their hearts will be broken and their trust in their parents will lessen. It is unnecessary and rude to children. Come clean parents, come clean.