Comments on: Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Claus http://flawedbutauthentic.com/2007/12/12/37/ Exchange Some Yellow! Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:36:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Lizz http://flawedbutauthentic.com/2007/12/12/37/#comment-176 Lizz Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:46:10 +0000 http://flawedbutauthentic.com/?p=37#comment-176 I loved this post last year, and I love it now. I wondered for a long time what to tell my children, since I never believed in Santa when I was little. I've gradually come to the same result as you have, to allow my children to keep a little magic in their world. I never expand the story too much however, when my 6-year-old asks questions about Santa, I invariably ask 'what do you think' and then he finds the answer for himself. Whan the day comes that he really begins to doubt the existence of Santa, I will take the answer Mrs. Ingalls gave Laura and Mary in the 'Little House'-books, that Santa is an allegory of the Christmas spirit, of people thinking more of other people's happiness than their own. So in a way I guess I still believe in Santa ;-) I loved this post last year, and I love it now. I wondered for a long time what to tell my children, since I never believed in Santa when I was little. I’ve gradually come to the same result as you have, to allow my children to keep a little magic in their world. I never expand the story too much however, when my 6-year-old asks questions about Santa, I invariably ask ‘what do you think’ and then he finds the answer for himself. Whan the day comes that he really begins to doubt the existence of Santa, I will take the answer Mrs. Ingalls gave Laura and Mary in the ‘Little House’-books, that Santa is an allegory of the Christmas spirit, of people thinking more of other people’s happiness than their own. So in a way I guess I still believe in Santa ;-)

]]> By: June Clever http://flawedbutauthentic.com/2007/12/12/37/#comment-155 June Clever Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:42:19 +0000 http://flawedbutauthentic.com/?p=37#comment-155 My friend's mother had a very creative answer to the Santa question when my friend and her sisters would ask, "Is he real?" She never lied in her answer, but she kept the magic alive. She would tell them, "There are always presents from Santa on Christmas morning. The minute you stop believing in Santa, there won't be any more presents from him!" To this day, Julie and her sisters say they believe because they know their mom will simply not get them their "Santa gift" that year if they say otherwise. My friend’s mother had a very creative answer to the Santa question when my friend and her sisters would ask, “Is he real?” She never lied in her answer, but she kept the magic alive.

She would tell them, “There are always presents from Santa on Christmas morning. The minute you stop believing in Santa, there won’t be any more presents from him!”

To this day, Julie and her sisters say they believe because they know their mom will simply not get them their “Santa gift” that year if they say otherwise.

]]> By: Marni http://flawedbutauthentic.com/2007/12/12/37/#comment-151 Marni Sat, 15 Dec 2007 06:41:33 +0000 http://flawedbutauthentic.com/?p=37#comment-151 Wonderful post, thank you. I guess I see Santa as an evolving story. When I was in high school speech I did a speech on the fact that Santa is real. I believed it then, and I still do. The way we believe it does change, though. For a while he's a man in a red suit, and then later you realize he's the 'magic' of the season. The secret giving and secret serving. My oldest (10) knows the truth, but he also knows that now he can be Santa too, and he is excited about it and I know he can feel the Christmas spirit because of it. I don't think that takes away the true meaning of Christmas. Just gives us a mask to help enhance it. Wonderful post, thank you. I guess I see Santa as an evolving story. When I was in high school speech I did a speech on the fact that Santa is real. I believed it then, and I still do. The way we believe it does change, though. For a while he’s a man in a red suit, and then later you realize he’s the ‘magic’ of the season. The secret giving and secret serving. My oldest (10) knows the truth, but he also knows that now he can be Santa too, and he is excited about it and I know he can feel the Christmas spirit because of it. I don’t think that takes away the true meaning of Christmas. Just gives us a mask to help enhance it.

]]> By: Jen O. http://flawedbutauthentic.com/2007/12/12/37/#comment-146 Jen O. Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:08:33 +0000 http://flawedbutauthentic.com/?p=37#comment-146 I am a HUGE believer in letting kids be kids. One of my greatest fears is that my daughter will grow up too fast. Your post brought a tear to my eye, imagining your son turning from a hardened, skeptical little man to a wide-eyed, excited little boy, all because of the magic of Christmas. But, believe me, if you had written that you decided to stick with the truth, I would have also understood. Consciously choosing to lie to our children, even about something as innocent as Santa, is a big decision we have to make. But isn't that joy, that thrill, in his eyes worth the tiny pang of guilt? I don't think anyone grew up resenting their parents for allowing them to believe in Santa. I am a HUGE believer in letting kids be kids. One of my greatest fears is that my daughter will grow up too fast. Your post brought a tear to my eye, imagining your son turning from a hardened, skeptical little man to a wide-eyed, excited little boy, all because of the magic of Christmas.

But, believe me, if you had written that you decided to stick with the truth, I would have also understood. Consciously choosing to lie to our children, even about something as innocent as Santa, is a big decision we have to make. But isn’t that joy, that thrill, in his eyes worth the tiny pang of guilt? I don’t think anyone grew up resenting their parents for allowing them to believe in Santa.

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