Did your parents do the Santa thing? (1 Viewer)

[jamny]

I don't recall one kid ever saying they didn't have Santa coming to their house. I don't recall any of them talking about seeing Santa anywhere but the store/mall.

Then about 5th-6th grade the rumors began.

Pretty much this for me as well.

I don't remember a lot from that early age but I do remember the feeling of being uncomfortable around kids that believed in Santa. I knew and was told never to say it to other kids.

FTR - I never blew it to any of you guys. I did get to say "duh!" plenty of times though later on.

 

[HughHoney]

How can you miss something you never had?

You said it didn't take anything away from you. Of course it did. You can argue it wasn't a big thing. But it is a bit of magic and innocence for children in most of the western world, and memories they'll cherish forever and look forward to sharing with their kids a generation away. Some pretty wonderful memories.

Christmas still happened, with some great memories.

How do you that mine wasn't better just being about family and not an imaginary character.

Never said it didn't. But also don't think you can fairly say you "didn't miss anything." By definition, of course you did.I don't see why a parent would intentionally deprive their children of this.

I wasn't looking at this as one way or the other is better. Maybe you missed the experience that I had. That I always knew my dad worked hard to get us these things on Christmas. I don't know which is better. I probably would have gone along with Santa if I had kids, but I'm not sure.Is that something couples discuss when they have kids or is it just a given?

It's just a given.

 

[HughHoney]

My parents, then just mom after the divorce, did Santa. Once I was 7 or so I knew it was fake and I felt a lot of stress for her trying so hard to maintain this facade.

We don't do Santa with our kids. They know the presents are from us. They still love Christmas morning and we have a great time. I don't think we have robbed them of anything magical. My husbands parents did Santa in a big way and were very angry at us for not doing it. Then when his sister had kids and she didn't do it either it was ok.

We had a great day today and ended it with taking the middle kids to see Star Wars.

Why didn't you do Santa?

 

[BobbyLayne]

Pour yourself a drink, Nick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoJSDi6o0mA&sns=em

 

[Otis]

How can you miss something you never had?

You said it didn't take anything away from you. Of course it did. You can argue it wasn't a big thing. But it is a bit of magic and innocence for children in most of the western world, and memories they'll cherish forever and look forward to sharing with their kids a generation away. Some pretty wonderful memories.

Christmas still happened, with some great memories.

How do you that mine wasn't better just being about family and not an imaginary character.

Never said it didn't. But also don't think you can fairly say you "didn't miss anything." By definition, of course you did.I don't see why a parent would intentionally deprive their children of this.

I wasn't looking at this as one way or the other is better. Maybe you missed the experience that I had. That I always knew my dad worked hard to get us these things on Christmas. I don't know which is better. I probably would have gone along with Santa if I had kids, but I'm not sure.Is that something couples discuss when they have kids or is it just a given?

It was just assumed in my house.

 

[JuniorNB]

How can you miss something you never had?

You said it didn't take anything away from you. Of course it did. You can argue it wasn't a big thing. But it is a bit of magic and innocence for children in most of the western world, and memories they'll cherish forever and look forward to sharing with their kids a generation away. Some pretty wonderful memories.

Christmas still happened, with some great memories.

How do you that mine wasn't better just being about family and not an imaginary character.

Never said it didn't. But also don't think you can fairly say you "didn't miss anything." By definition, of course you did.I don't see why a parent would intentionally deprive their children of this.

I wasn't looking at this as one way or the other is better. Maybe you missed the experience that I had. That I always knew my dad worked hard to get us these things on Christmas. I don't know which is better. I probably would have gone along with Santa if I had kids, but I'm not sure.Is that something couples discuss when they have kids or is it just a given?

It's just a given.

Absolutely it's a given. I wouldn't marry a woman who wanted to take that joy away from my kids,

 

[jamny]

How can you miss something you never had?

You said it didn't take anything away from you. Of course it did. You can argue it wasn't a big thing. But it is a bit of magic and innocence for children in most of the western world, and memories they'll cherish forever and look forward to sharing with their kids a generation away. Some pretty wonderful memories.

Christmas still happened, with some great memories.

How do you that mine wasn't better just being about family and not an imaginary character.

Never said it didn't. But also don't think you can fairly say you "didn't miss anything." By definition, of course you did.I don't see why a parent would intentionally deprive their children of this.

I wasn't looking at this as one way or the other is better. Maybe you missed the experience that I had. That I always knew my dad worked hard to get us these things on Christmas. I don't know which is better. I probably would have gone along with Santa if I had kids, but I'm not sure.Is that something couples discuss when they have kids or is it just a given?

It's just a given.

Absolutely it's a given. I wouldn't marry a woman who wanted to take that joy away from my kids,

Wow

 

[JuniorNB]

How can you miss something you never had?

You said it didn't take anything away from you. Of course it did. You can argue it wasn't a big thing. But it is a bit of magic and innocence for children in most of the western world, and memories they'll cherish forever and look forward to sharing with their kids a generation away. Some pretty wonderful memories.

Christmas still happened, with some great memories.

How do you that mine wasn't better just being about family and not an imaginary character.

Never said it didn't. But also don't think you can fairly say you "didn't miss anything." By definition, of course you did.I don't see why a parent would intentionally deprive their children of this.

I wasn't looking at this as one way or the other is better. Maybe you missed the experience that I had. That I always knew my dad worked hard to get us these things on Christmas. I don't know which is better. I probably would have gone along with Santa if I had kids, but I'm not sure.Is that something couples discuss when they have kids or is it just a given?

It's just a given.

Absolutely it's a given. I wouldn't marry a woman who wanted to take that joy away from my kids,

Wow

let me reword that. I'd tell her that we're doing the Santa thing and it's not up for debate.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

What does being 51 have to do with it?

He tends to drop this in many of his threads thinking it explains something.

 

[jamny]

What does being 51 have to do with it?

He tends to drop this in many of his threads thinking it explains something.

Do I?

I'll make a note of it but didn't think I did it often.

As I said, my thinking is that my parents might have been from an older generation than some on this board so maybe that would explain it. Didn't think it was that hard to understand.

 

[Clown Car]

My parents, then just mom after the divorce, did Santa. Once I was 7 or so I knew it was fake and I felt a lot of stress for her trying so hard to maintain this facade.

We don't do Santa with our kids. They know the presents are from us. They still love Christmas morning and we have a great time. I don't think we have robbed them of anything magical. My husbands parents did Santa in a big way and were very angry at us for not doing it. Then when his sister had kids and she didn't do it either it was ok.

We had a great day today and ended it with taking the middle kids to see Star Wars.

So you obviously had the discussion and said you weren't doing it. Must be much tougher nowadays with social media.

I doubt it. Santa age kids wouldn't be in there and all the fb posts I saw were about Santa being there.

We did talk about it. I just didn't want to do it and he didn't care. No tooth fairy or Easter bunny either. I was pretty hard core about it at first, but then started treating them like I would Mickey Mouse. Just a character.

 

[Clown Car]

My parents, then just mom after the divorce, did Santa. Once I was 7 or so I knew it was fake and I felt a lot of stress for her trying so hard to maintain this facade.

We don't do Santa with our kids. They know the presents are from us. They still love Christmas morning and we have a great time. I don't think we have robbed them of anything magical. My husbands parents did Santa in a big way and were very angry at us for not doing it. Then when his sister had kids and she didn't do it either it was ok.

We had a great day today and ended it with taking the middle kids to see Star Wars.

Why didn't you do Santa?

I just didn't want to. The pressure, the fake ness, the commercialism. I don't know. I was pretty political about dumb stuff in my mid twenties.

 

[BobbyLayne]

How can you miss something you never had?

You said it didn't take anything away from you. Of course it did. You can argue it wasn't a big thing. But it is a bit of magic and innocence for children in most of the western world, and memories they'll cherish forever and look forward to sharing with their kids a generation away. Some pretty wonderful memories.

Christmas still happened, with some great memories.

How do you that mine wasn't better just being about family and not an imaginary character.

Never said it didn't. But also don't think you can fairly say you "didn't miss anything." By definition, of course you did.I don't see why a parent would intentionally deprive their children of this.

I wasn't looking at this as one way or the other is better. Maybe you missed the experience that I had. That I always knew my dad worked hard to get us these things on Christmas. I don't know which is better. I probably would have gone along with Santa if I had kids, but I'm not sure.Is that something couples discuss when they have kids or is it just a given?

It's just a given.

Absolutely it's a given. I wouldn't marry a woman who wanted to take that joy away from my kids,

Wow

let me reword that. I'd tell her that we're doing the Santa thing and it's not up for debate.

Meh that's not even a hot take. I've never actually dated someone who was anti-Claus but it would be a deal breaker. It's a tradition full of joy and happiness.

It's not a bad thing for kids to believe in the myth of someone trying to make people happy if they're behaving; imagination is a normal part of development, and helps develop creative minds. St Nicholas was a real person, the values of giving to the poor is real. There are lots of mythical figures in a child's life.

A couple caveats: I don't actually try to leverage Santa's naughty & nice list to coerce good behavior. I don't need to outsource my daily parenting. I also did not tell my oldest and will not tell my youngest there is no Santa. Kids figure out plenty on their own. And it's pretty obvious from being around younger cousins why the myth is perpetuated - it's awesome seeing little kids being excited about Santa and Christmas morning.

 

[belljr]

What does being 51 have to do with it?

He tends to drop this in many of his threads thinking it explains something.

Do I?I'll make a note of it but didn't think I did it often.

As I said, my thinking is that my parents might have been from an older generation than some on this board so maybe that would explain it. Didn't think it was that hard to understand.

I only asked because it didn't make sense. I'm 44 and my parents did it and my grandparents did it. You are the first person I've ever heard that celebrates Christmas to ever mention not doing it.

 

[jamny]

What does being 51 have to do with it?

He tends to drop this in many of his threads thinking it explains something.

Do I?I'll make a note of it but didn't think I did it often.

As I said, my thinking is that my parents might have been from an older generation than some on this board so maybe that would explain it. Didn't think it was that hard to understand.

I only asked because it didn't make sense. I'm 44 and my parents did it and my grandparents did it. You are the first person I've ever heard that celebrates Christmas to ever mention not doing it.

That's why I started the thread, to see how common it was. I guess it's an odd coincidence that neither of our parents did.

 

[Doug B]

I also did not tell my oldest and will not tell my youngest there is no Santa. Kids figure out plenty on their own.

This is a great point: you never really have to have this discussion.

Now then -- a lot depends on your comfort level with fibbing when/if they come asking about Santa.

 

[The Ref]

Me and Mrs Ref did the Santa thing christmass Eve. I wore a Santa hat and she was my Ho Ho Ho.

 

[BobbyLayne]

I also did not tell my oldest and will not tell my youngest there is no Santa. Kids figure out plenty on their own.

This is a great point: you never really have to have this discussion.

Now then -- a lot depends on your comfort level with fibbing when/if they come asking about Santa.

I just turn it back to them. Do you believe in Santa? If they do, then the discussion is over. If they say no, then there's nothing to talk about, they already figured it out.

Pretty sure my 7 y.o. knows the score, but she still wants to believe. No harm there IMO. And next year and the year after she'll keep playing along for her younger cousins.

It's an awesome time of year, and downright magical for little kids. Its shared joy for all.

 

[Otis]

I celebrate Halloween and it's a joyous holiday, except we don't put on costumes and pretend to be people we aren't or go to peoples' homes panhandling for candy, because I think that's stupid and living a lie.

 

[TakiToki]

My parents celebrated Christmas and never pretended Santa were real. I can't imagine Christmas being that much more fun with the Santa thing. I was pretty jazzed up about it as it was.

I suspect, in general, that parents are the group that would lose more fun without the Santa part.

 

[Otis]

My parents celebrated Christmas and never pretended Santa were real. I can't imagine Christmas being that much more fun with the Santa thing. I was pretty jazzed up about it as it was.

I suspect, in general, that parents are the group that would lose more fun without the Santa part.

Why do this?

Why put your kids in the awkward situation of being unnecessarily different or having to hide this secret from other kids?

Just seems like such a pointless fight. What's the upside?

 

[shadyridr]

Why does it bother Otis so much? Lol