Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - When do you tell your kids the truth about Santa?

thermight · 09-22-2006, 03:10 AM

We have never told our kids there is a Santa. They believed in Santa because of TV and advertising. That lasted till they were about 7. We decided not to tell there was a Santa because of an experience we had.

Before my wife and I had kids we were out shopping at Christmas time and stopped to eat at a resturaunt crowded with Christmas shoppers. The family sitting next to us (only about 3 feet away) was talking about Santa. The child asked his mom "Is Santa real?'.
The mom said, "Do you want the truth?"
Child, "Yes."
Mom, "The ones in the mall are Santa's helpers, tell the real Santa what you want." I don't recall the rest of the mom's reply, it was 15 years ago.

This blew us away. Being an outsider we were not wrapped up in the myth. The fact that the mom asked if he wanted the truth and then lied just stunned me. We decided that night when we have kids that we were never going to lie to them.
Seems the comercialism makes the lie more important than what Christmas is supposed to be about.

09-22-2006, 03:10 AM	#44 (permalink)
thermight Upright	We have never told our kids there is a Santa. They believed in Santa because of TV and advertising. That lasted till they were about 7. We decided not to tell there was a Santa because of an experience we had. Before my wife and I had kids we were out shopping at Christmas time and stopped to eat at a resturaunt crowded with Christmas shoppers. The family sitting next to us (only about 3 feet away) was talking about Santa. The child asked his mom "Is Santa real?'. The mom said, "Do you want the truth?" Child, "Yes." Mom, "The ones in the mall are Santa's helpers, tell the real Santa what you want." I don't recall the rest of the mom's reply, it was 15 years ago. This blew us away. Being an outsider we were not wrapped up in the myth. The fact that the mom asked if he wanted the truth and then lied just stunned me. We decided that night when we have kids that we were never going to lie to them. Seems the comercialism makes the lie more important than what Christmas is supposed to be about.