Alright friends. With Christmas around the corner, and decorations already here, I feel compelled to warn you of something. We don’t do Santa Claus with the kids. GASP!
We’re not robbing them of their childhood.
We’re not forbidding them to mention his name.
But we’re also not lying to them.
Alright, that last one might have been a little mean. It’s just interesting what I’ve read and heard from other parents who feel SO strongly that Santa Claus is an essential part of childhood, and those of us who don’t participate are some how neglectful. Chad and I have just decided to make Christmas about Jesus. We talk about Santa, we watch Christmas movies, they see Santa stuff all over town and we don’t shield their eyes. They pretend about Santa, reindeers, the North Pole. But they know that he’s pretend. He’s up there with princesses and fairies. We’ve told them that other kids think he’s real, and that’s ok. We’ve told them that telling kids that he’s pretend will make them sad.
But they’re still kids, and they’re honest. Last Christmas when they were practicing for the program at church, the pastor asked if Christmas was about Santa Claus. Grace’s response: Santa Claus is just pretend. Yikes! So we’re still working on that one. We’re trying to teach them that if someone asks them about Santa, they should just say, “Christmas is about Jesus.”
Here’s my final thought. If we teach kids about Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Jesus… and they learn that the first three aren’t real… how do we convince them that Jesus is?
I’ve gotten way off track here… the intention of this post was to warn you not to ask my kids what Santa brought them for Christmas. 🙂
Feel free to post your thoughts, your gut reactions, your Christmas beliefs. But please give reasons for these thoughts, reactions, and beliefs. Let’s have a dialogue, not arguments. 🙂
Great idea Janna. We always make sure to have a cake and make a big deal about celebrating Jesus' birth. I also continously say what is
Christmas. I love how you have just made it real for the kids, and I am sure not less special.
Janna, You are the first person I have met that completely understands why Brian and I don't do Santa Claus. We decided from the very beginning that we didn't want to tell our kids that there was a wonderful man who knew how they behaved, rewarded them for making good choices, you can't see him but he is there, only to find out that it was all made up. What then keeps them from second guessing everything you ever told them about their Father, Creator and Savior. We too watch the Christmas movies, see santas, sometimes the kids will even ask to sit on his lap, but in the end they understand that santa is something fun we pretend but that the main thing about Christmas is Christ. We also only give 3 gifts for each of the kids just like baby Jesus. We have received a lot of flack over the last seven years, but feel that in the end is the best choice. It really is a comfort to know we are not alone.
Jennifer O.
We're right there with you!
My parents raised us with this same philosophy and I can say that neither Christmas or my childhood was ruined. In all honesty, we really sell kids short. Since when did something not being real ruin their fun? Have you seen the adventures a child can take in a cardboard box?
Well put Janna! And Jennifer, we do the same thing with the three gifts. Why turn it into the commercial smorgusborg (sp?!) that society wants?! Keeping the focus where it should be makes for a much richer season indeed!
We do santa, but I completely respect your decision. To be honest, only being a Christian since the birth of my second, I can't really go back now, and I'm not sure I'd want to. But I can see why you do Christmas this way, and I like it! I also like the 3 gifts idea, just like baby Jesus!!! Well done 🙂
Thank you for posting Kristy! I was worried I scared off all the Santas! 🙂 And I of course respect your decision. It is a decision each family has to make. My parents did Santa, and I don't feel like they screwed me up or made a wrong choice or anything like that. My choice isn't a reaction to theirs. It's just what we've decided.
Thank you girls for all of your comments!
Hey! I have been meaning to comment, but just haven't gotten around to it! 🙂 You didn't scare me off… We do Santa, but to be honest – I don't like it. I feel uncomfortable LYING to them, and it's A LOT of work sneaking around and all that. I just want to come clean and yell, "He's not real!" But, Josh won't let me yet! (I think he's getting close) 🙂 I've been so close a few times… We've talked a lot about it and Josh and I both say – We did Santa growing up and we BELIEVE in Jesus without a doubt!
I completely agree, Janna. My parents never did Santa with us, and we were always told not to spoil it for our cousins when we were little. 🙂 I've thought the exact same thing about how to get them to believe that Jesus, whom they can't see, is real after telling them that Santa, whom they can't see (except at every single mall in the US) isn't real. I'm pretty sure that Adelaide, and your kids, will turn out fine! I'm already trying to think of traditions we can start with her to focus on Jesus at Christmas time, and giving to others instead of getting. If you have any ideas, let me know!
– Jenna
Janna! You can send your kids to my house! We do the same as you! It's nice to see that we aren't the only ones.