Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think it’s more nuts that people can’t believe that children believe in Santa. Im gearing kids aren’t smart because they still believe and it’s ridiculous. Lots of parents remember the joy of Christmas and Santa as a kid and that’s why they do it for theirs. I’m starting to think all the parents who can’t believe had miserable childhoods.

i have an alternative take. parents who are so invested in protecting their children from age-appropriate information in order to preserve the "magic" of a single day are having miserable parenthoods and are trying to compensate with Christmas.

? If you’re talking 4-5 for age appropriate I can understand, but anyone who thinks 6-8 is too old for Santa is just a miserable person.

Did I say it's "too old"? No. What's "age appropriate" is that kids will hear from kids their age that Santa isn't real -- starting at around 4.

This is wrong. 4 year olds aren't saying Santa isn't real. They're just not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this hysteria people suffer from these days about protecting older children from the truth about Santa? While I was raised on Santa as a kid, it was also considered normal to learn about his non-existence during the elementary school years. It was sort of a rite of passage. I guess now that we're helicoptering everything else, we might as well throw in Santa.

Four is awfully young to be in elementary school these days.

We're saying that by fourth or fifth grade, it's a non-issue. Before that, it's something to be aware of. Which is exactly what you said, but without the outrage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this hysteria people suffer from these days about protecting older children from the truth about Santa? While I was raised on Santa as a kid, it was also considered normal to learn about his non-existence during the elementary school years. It was sort of a rite of passage. I guess now that we're helicoptering everything else, we might as well throw in Santa.

Four is awfully young to be in elementary school these days.

We're saying that by fourth or fifth grade, it's a non-issue. Before that, it's something to be aware of. Which is exactly what you said, but without the outrage.

Anonymous wrote:What is this hysteria people suffer from these days about protecting older children from the truth about Santa? While I was raised on Santa as a kid, it was also considered normal to learn about his non-existence during the elementary school years. It was sort of a rite of passage. I guess now that we're helicoptering everything else, we might as well throw in Santa.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think it’s more nuts that people can’t believe that children believe in Santa. Im gearing kids aren’t smart because they still believe and it’s ridiculous. Lots of parents remember the joy of Christmas and Santa as a kid and that’s why they do it for theirs. I’m starting to think all the parents who can’t believe had miserable childhoods.

i have an alternative take. parents who are so invested in protecting their children from age-appropriate information in order to preserve the "magic" of a single day are having miserable parenthoods and are trying to compensate with Christmas.

? If you’re talking 4-5 for age appropriate I can understand, but anyone who thinks 6-8 is too old for Santa is just a miserable person.

Did I say it's "too old"? No. What's "age appropriate" is that kids will hear from kids their age that Santa isn't real -- starting at around 4.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think it’s more nuts that people can’t believe that children believe in Santa. Im gearing kids aren’t smart because they still believe and it’s ridiculous. Lots of parents remember the joy of Christmas and Santa as a kid and that’s why they do it for theirs. I’m starting to think all the parents who can’t believe had miserable childhoods.

i have an alternative take. parents who are so invested in protecting their children from age-appropriate information in order to preserve the "magic" of a single day are having miserable parenthoods and are trying to compensate with Christmas.

? If you’re talking 4-5 for age appropriate I can understand, but anyone who thinks 6-8 is too old for Santa is just a miserable person.

Did I say it's "too old"? No. What's "age appropriate" is that kids will hear from kids their age that Santa isn't real -- starting at around 4.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think it’s more nuts that people can’t believe that children believe in Santa. Im gearing kids aren’t smart because they still believe and it’s ridiculous. Lots of parents remember the joy of Christmas and Santa as a kid and that’s why they do it for theirs. I’m starting to think all the parents who can’t believe had miserable childhoods.

i have an alternative take. parents who are so invested in protecting their children from age-appropriate information in order to preserve the "magic" of a single day are having miserable parenthoods and are trying to compensate with Christmas.

? If you’re talking 4-5 for age appropriate I can understand, but anyone who thinks 6-8 is too old for Santa is just a miserable person.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since we are talking about outing Santa... I thought I would warn people that Judy Blume's book Super Fudge totally talks about how Santa isn't real and only "babies" believe it is real. The 4 year old in the book say this.

Judy Blume- who was raised Jewish: Said that she can't imagine anyone being upset about the book, because all children know Santa isn't real......sigh.....

Another holiday favorite- attacking the Jews for not playing their part in protecting Christian children from hearing a single thing about Santa, notwithstanding the onslaught of Christmas in popular culture.

BTW- Superfudge is a book for middle to late ES students. And, another PSA- Judy Blume’s books talk about other unpleasant topics you may want to shield your children from: racism (Iggie’s house) bullying (Blubber), anti-Semitism (Starring Sally J Freedman).

+1

I see a lot of threads and posts on DCUM about "is this or that book appropriate for my child at this age?" etc. I wish parents really did ask that more and actually paid attention to the content of books. Then they wouldn't be upset that a book that was never intended for their child's age is a book that "outs Santa," or has romance in it, or indicates that a fictional family is not perfectly happy, or whatever bugs the parent when they run across it.

Of course a kid who is an advanced reader, or especially mature, can read things that aren't limited to his or her age group as printed on the back of a book. Kids do need to be challenged and stretched in their reading. But adults shouldn't then act as if what's between the covers of a book brought home from the school library is some huge shock.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since we are talking about outing Santa... I thought I would warn people that Judy Blume's book Super Fudge totally talks about how Santa isn't real and only "babies" believe it is real. The 4 year old in the book say this.

Judy Blume- who was raised Jewish: Said that she can't imagine anyone being upset about the book, because all children know Santa isn't real......sigh.....

Another holiday favorite- attacking the Jews for not playing their part in protecting Christian children from hearing a single thing about Santa, notwithstanding the onslaught of Christmas in popular culture.

BTW- Superfudge is a book for middle to late ES students. And, another PSA- Judy Blume’s books talk about other unpleasant topics you may want to shield your children from: racism (Iggie’s house) bullying (Blubber), anti-Semitism (Starring Sally J Freedman).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think it’s more nuts that people can’t believe that children believe in Santa. Im gearing kids aren’t smart because they still believe and it’s ridiculous. Lots of parents remember the joy of Christmas and Santa as a kid and that’s why they do it for theirs. I’m starting to think all the parents who can’t believe had miserable childhoods.

i have an alternative take. parents who are so invested in protecting their children from age-appropriate information in order to preserve the "magic" of a single day are having miserable parenthoods and are trying to compensate with Christmas.