The Santa Topic... *possible spoilers*

[LostAndConfused]

what are you talking about, we both still believe in Santa. I mean, sure we get stuff for each other and for our family, but Santa presents always come on the 24th/25th (unless he knows you have other engagements, that's how he manages to do everything).

If you don't believe in him, he won't come.

[-bogart-]

Santa is real and when the kids start to disbelieve then we tell them. Caleb is the problem though . He will always belive. Because of who he is. I love it. Chris is bummed cause Santa gets the credit for our hard work. I told him it won't be for much longer as the girls will.start to ask in a couple years.

The older ones already knew when Chris and I got together , all there gifts are signed from "the elves "
Or " fat man in the red suit " or " lady who put up with crazy short green people".

Or Rudolph . Lol

[sillysally]

I do remember when I was on the edge if not believing, being at my dads on Christmas Eve and seeing the TV news. The weather man was reporting that Santa had been spotted over Canada or something, and I thought, "Well, maybe he DOES exist--they couldn't report it on the news if he didn't." lol

I think I will do the Santa thing, but won't put emphasis on the good vs. bad part of it as far as behavior goes. I like how my mom handled it.

Mom is a 4th grade teacher and will get kids asking her about Santa or declaring that he isn't real. Her response is something along the lines of "Oh, you don't believe in Santa? I believe in him."

[milos_mommy]

I believed in Santa probably until age 8 or 9...I'm sure I questioned it earlier but up until late elementary school at least a part of me still believed.

My mom did the whole "oh well, the santas at the mall are just workers for santa" and "if you don't behave Santa will leave you coal" and came up with a million excuses when I questioned it...I don't think I'll do all of that. If my kid starts to question I will tell them yes santa is real, no he doesn't come to our house and leave you all these gifts but we have to tell the children about Santa because their believe helps keep the magic of Christmas alive.

And I will SHAMELESSLY tell my kid that Santa is watching them and they better not end up on the naughty list of course I'll reassure them that just because every item on their wist list doesn't come doesn't mean they were bad or that every child who doesn't get gifts is naughty - or every kid that does is "nice"....just that good behavior is always rewarded and bad behavior always has consequences.

This is a letter from an article called "The Truth About Santa" and I will tell my kids a similar story:

Dear Lucy,
Thank you for your letter. You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”
I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.
The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.
I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)
I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.
This won’t make you Santa, though.
Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.
It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.
Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.
So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.
I love you and I always will.
Mama

[CaliTerp07]

My parents did Santa for us. I will not be doing it for my kids, unless Zach really wants to--but I don't think he's a big fan either. I would rather teach them from a young age that we are responsible for gifts for others, not Santa Claus.

[Pops2]

we tell them the truth about all the make believe stuff so there is no conflict about god. we also tell them not to ruin it for other kids.

[sparks19]

We even have an elf on the shelf cOming

[milos_mommy]

Originally Posted by Pops2

we tell them the truth about all the make believe stuff so there is no conflict about god. we also tell them not to ruin it for other kids.

Just curious - what do you mean by so there is no conflict about God? Do you mean you don't want them to see that adults talk about things they can't see such as Santa, find out it's not "real", and believe God is in the same category as Santa?

[Fran27]

I believed until 6 or so. Then some kids in the bathroom at school made fun of us (my sister and I) because we still believed... after that we acted like of course we never really believed. I don't really remember... but I do remember the bathroom accident.

I didn't want to do the Santa thing with my kids but with them going to school, it's just pretty hard. We definitely don't overdo it though... although I *might* have slipped a comment about how Santa only comes for kids who are good... ok... maybe a couple times... or 3 or 4. But Lisa just said 'we are good!', so I guess she just doesn't understand what 'being good' is LOL... and it's probably just going to bite me in the ass when they get presents even though they're being brats. So definitely not going to do this again lol.

But yeah, between seeing Santa at the mall, and the North Pole train ride we had last year with Santa... and Santa going to their school and bringing them stuff... it would just seem mean and totally killjoy to tell them he's not real. I guess they'll figure it out eventually.

And yeah, tough one explaining to them why we're going to bring toys for Toys for tots or why I sent a girl I 'adopted' some toys. It's seriously really hard to try not to ruin it. I'm probably overthinking it but at some point they'll realize that all the presents come with the same gift wrap right? And that it's Mommy's writing on them? And where do you hide them anyway? Right now it's in the office and there's a door knob cover on it but I'm guessing they'll figure out how to open that eventually...

[JacksonsMom]

Originally Posted by AllieMackie

I believed in Santa growing up. I believed that mall Santas and other folks dressed as Santa worked for the true Santa up North, and true Santa was never really seen. :P

I thought this too! I very much believed in Santa up until about 10 or so. But for some reason I always knew the one we went to see in the mall wasn't REALLY him. It was just someone that worked for him, lol.

Believing in Santa was sooo awesome, it made Christmas so exciting and thrilling. I'll never forget that feeling Christmas Eve night when you're trying so hard to go to sleep, but you're just sooo excited, it's like butterflies almost, because you just don't know what he's going to bring you in the morning. It just added an excitement to it that wouldn't have been there if I just knew my parents were getting me things lol. It wasn't even so much about the presents themselves, just the fact that this magical dude was in my house and ate the cookies I left him!

I feel sorry for the kids who don't get to believe, because it seems like it'd be difficult being around all the other kids who do, and it was just such a fantastic part of my childhood. I imagine it'd be hard for the younger ones who are taught not to believe in him to spill the 'he's not real' beans to the others.