Anonymous wrote:What a bunch of meanies.

Anonymous wrote:If Santa is the only magic some of the poor children of these PPs have, at Christmas or otherwise, then I am sad for you. Easter Bunny, Santa, Tooth Fairy - I liked the presents as a kid, but that's about it. The alleged "magic" lay only in the anticipation of the loot. It's an unimaginable and low way of creating wonderment in your child's life. Dig deeper.

Give me a break.

The nanny has been the only reasonable one is this thread and I almost spit out my coffee laughing at her comment about "the hipster parents'. This is so fucking true in this area. "We are so cool that we don't do Santa."

I am breaking out the Elf on the Shelf tonight. It provides a month of laughter and I love to catch my kids talking to him. Baking cookies for Santa, leaving carrots for his reindeer, etc. It's fun.

I adopted older kids. When they were young, Santa never came to them. Even so, they absolutely believed in Santa. We do Christmas and the complete and total joy they get from it is worth every bit of effort. I would regret missing that. One thing though, I never allow anyone to tell them that they have to be good or that if they are bad, Santa won't come.

8:54 here -- one more thing -- there are benefits of pushing the santa thing -- and every parent knows what I'm talking about here --- "If you don't behave, I'm writing an email to santa to tell him not to bring you anything!" (or something like that)...when you have a 3-7 yr. old, you need every bit of leverage you can get, and santa is definitely leverage for good behavior.

OP -- we weren't into santa with our kids at all, but I will tell you that they will not escape the whole santa idea. We never made a point of saying "the whole santa thing is a hoax" but we also didn't tell them to write letters of what they want (gimme, gimme..) or push the idea of a man coming down the chimney. If your kids are in preschool or daycare, they WILL get santa-tized. If you take your kid to the mall with you or let them see anything on tv or hear songs on the radio, they will get a general idea of santa.

I wasn't into the "lying" idea with Santa when my kids were babies, but it's really no different than reading stories where frogs are singing or bunnies are playing hide and seek... it's all just imaginary stories. So, if we are o.k. with reading stories about frogs that dance, then are we really hurting kids by reading them a story about a man who bring presents?

Like I said, we have never encouraged the whole "make a list of all the stuff you want" b/c I'd rather just give them things and have them be pleasantly surprised to get anything at all. Since the whole santa thing could not be avoided, we told the kids that santa leaves little treats in their stockings (and we took credit for giving them all the bigger presents) -- the idea being that they wouldn't feel as "tricked" if they only thought the small treats were from santa. When other kids/adults said "what did you get from santa?" my kids would be like "a coloring book" or "a pez." We told them that santa brings bigger things for people who can't afford to get them on their own.

At any rate, DD figured it out at 7.5 years (after questioning the legitimacy of the tooth fairy and extropolating that santa might be in the same boat). DS is 6 and hasn't asked too much about it b/c we don't highlight the idea -- we keep it as more of a "story" and we don't market it to the kids are god's honest truth. We also tell them that anyone can be a "santa" by doing nice things for others.

Bottom line --- you don't have to go "all in" on Santa -- but you cannot escape it entirely if you live in the USA.

I didn't have Santa growing up. My parents felt it was "lying" to me. I really felt like I missed out, I'm so excited now that my 4 year old is really into Santa. I think I'm more excited than she is.

What a bunch of meanies.

I didn't make a big deal of Santa but others do. DC eventually picked up on it himself, so yes we do Santa by default.

At 2 your kid won't know the difference.

Never did Santa, tooth fairy, or Easter Bunny with my kids. They are 12 and 7 and get much joy out of the holidays, even without "Santa". Its hard to miss something you never had.

My sister and I never believed in Santa, though my parents tried. Frankly, I was creeped out by the whole idea of some random guy breaking into our apartment, whether or not he left gifts. Plus, his handwriting looked suspiciously like my dad's.

It's important to me to not lie to my DD (she's almost 3), so like one of the PPs, I don't really talk about it, but if others talk to her about Santa, I don't contradict.

My DH is wistful about the Santa magic, so I told him if he wanted to do Santa for her, I wouldn't stand in his way. He's conflicted, because he also doesn't want to lie to her, but also doesn't want her to be left out.

And, as far as I'm concerned, there's more magic in things that are real than there ever could be in Santa. Sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, stars, butterflies, making sandcastles, splashing in puddles in the rain, sharing a cookie, and otherwise being fully present for her make every day magical in some way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here-

MB and DB did this to DC. I've been with the family 7 years and it's extremely sad every year when he wants to go see Santa and his hipster parents are too cool for Santa. It's actually a little obnoxious and iunfair to the kid. Last year we were in the mall and it broke my heart having to pull this little boy away from the line to go see Santa because he wasn't allowed. I think you are kind of pathetic OP and really hope you can put your kid first and be a hipster second.

We don't do Santa (in the sense of teaching the kids he is real) but they still like him like a Christmas mascot...get a picture on his knee, we give gifts from 'Santa' and they guess who it is really from etc... We aren't anti-Santa. By saying we don't do Santa we just don't do the Santa is real.

Nanny again- I totally agree with what you are saying and my Mom was the same way. When I asked if Santa was real she told me the truth that he wasn't because she didn't want to lie to me. But he was like you said, a mascot and I still get presents every year from 'Santa'... Even though I'm 28!! I also get presents from Mrs. Calus, the reindeer & the elves. Just seems incredibly sad when people are anti Santa, like my employers (who are great people but hipsters).

Anonymous wrote:You are lazy.

You are also missing out on the magic. Our boys are so full of joy and wonder and it is contagious...the elf, Santa, reindeer, etc.

I have only fabulous Holiday memories because my parents were wonderful with creating excitement and traditions....and NO it's not just about money and presents.

This could be why my brother, sister and I still get together with my parents on the Holidays. The families I know without much tradition have the kids that don't bother coming home for Holidays.

My kids are also full of joy and wonder without believing Santa is real. We have fabulous memories of our childhood Christmases and we didn't grow up believing in Santa. We have tons of traditions and every member of my family has come home for every Christmas (barring two years when people were across the globe on a once in a lifetime trip).

It isn't Santa that brings the joy , the wonder, the traditions, the excitement, the family bonding... maybe it was for your family but many families have that without Santa.

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here-

MB and DB did this to DC. I've been with the family 7 years and it's extremely sad every year when he wants to go see Santa and his hipster parents are too cool for Santa. It's actually a little obnoxious and iunfair to the kid. Last year we were in the mall and it broke my heart having to pull this little boy away from the line to go see Santa because he wasn't allowed. I think you are kind of pathetic OP and really hope you can put your kid first and be a hipster second.

We don't do Santa (in the sense of teaching the kids he is real) but they still like him like a Christmas mascot...get a picture on his knee, we give gifts from 'Santa' and they guess who it is really from etc... We aren't anti-Santa. By saying we don't do Santa we just don't do the Santa is real.

If Santa is the only magic some of the poor children of these PPs have, at Christmas or otherwise, then I am sad for you. Easter Bunny, Santa, Tooth Fairy - I liked the presents as a kid, but that's about it. The alleged "magic" lay only in the anticipation of the loot. It's an unimaginable and low way of creating wonderment in your child's life. Dig deeper.

I grew up not doing Santa. It's a downer. Let your kids enjoy the magic!