Believing in Santa

[Kelli]

Before we had our daughter DH and I kind of thought that we may not do the "Santa" thing. We discussed that maybe it just wasn't right to let kids believe in something that doesn't exist. Now that she is here I think we will let her believe in Santa as I think it is part of what makes Christmas as a kid so magical. I do have a friend who isn't going to play Santa for her son. She is planning to explain to him that Santa is a tradition of Christmas and where the tradition came from, but she isn't going to give him gifts from Santa. I respect this decision and even understand it. In a way I feel like I'm lying to my daughter, yet I think she would be deprived of something by not having Santa.

Do/Will you have your kids believe in Santa?

[Tamara]

The boys did believe, and even now that they know the truth they still say they believe and continue the fantasy of santa and we go with it.

[Dennis]

Yup, we're doing Santa all the way!

Dennis

[Martian Lullaby]

Absolutely! There's something so fun about Santa when you're a kid. I was always in awe at the idea when I was growing up because I didn't even know the guy but he knew exactly what I wanted for Christmas! :lol: When I got older and didn't believe anymore, it was still so much fun to play along for my little brothers. "Listen -- did you hear that? I think I heard something on the roof!" They would go nuts! :lol:

[Mandi]

Definitely! Some of my fondest childhood memories are of Christmas and waiting to see what Santa brought us. We'd leave cookies and Santa would always leave us a little letter after he ate them. We were always so excited to see what he wrote.

While i can understand why someone might not want to do the Santa thing, I can't imagine actually NOT doing it. Kids have so few true joys these days, why take that away too?

[LoriS]

I am all for Santa. That is what makes Christmas so magical in my eyes. I am enjoying Chrismas so much each year as Cassidy gets older and can appreciate it more.

[Nocona]

I am all for Santa. That is what makes Christmas so magical in my eyes.
Ditto. I just think the excitement in kids' eyes makes the whole holiday :)

[Waz]

Yep....... we're all about Santa here! :lol: I love the magic,the wonder, the excitement surrounding him and his "friends" (reindeer, elves etc......). I'm all for kids being kids............. she'll have enough adult things, and disillusionments in the future, I'll keep this one fun thing going as long as I can! :)

Chris

[LisaM]

We are all about Santa as well. I love Santa......

Lisa

[Tracy]

Definatly all for Santa (I tell DH that he is the only man I would dump him for :) ) All the kids but Char are older but Santa still plays a very big part with us..

[kristy]

oh definately! for the record, I still believe in Santa ;)

[Denise]

What?!?! There's no Santa?!?!? :santa2: :lol:
Yes, Nicholas will believe just as we did as children. It was the most wonderful thing to see the kids in line at the mall today with their lists to Santa. :) Smiling from ear to ear and jumping up and down. Exactly how I want Nicholas to experience.

[Ami]

We are gonna keep the Santa thing going as long as possible here! I love that part of Christmas!

[TtownAnne]

Absolutely - I was just reading about this on Babycenter. So many people mentioned being "traumatized" when they found out. Is it me, or do people really have an overdeveloped sense of what is traumatizing??? Come on - losing a loved one in a car accident is traumatizing! Not something done to make the holiday more pleasant and exciting. And YES, it is possible to teach your kids about the true meaning of Christmas and Santa at the same time.

Caroline already knows all about Santa!

~Anne

While i can understand why someone might not want to do the Santa thing, I can't imagine actually NOT doing it. Kids have so few true joys these days, why take that away too?

[Karri]

We absolutely believe in Santa in our house. I think its an absolutely magical time of the year!! And I dont ever remember being traumatized when I found out. And like Megan, I had younger brothers and had a great time playing it out for them when I was too old to believe.
My MIL spilled the beans to my DH when he was 4. His brothers told him that santa wasnt real and so he asked MIL and she said that no, santa wasnt real. I cant even imagine how friggin disappointed I would feel as a 4 year old!! We've already told her to keep her piehole shut and that she WILL NOT spoil it for our children!!!

[MelissaM]

We are all for Santa too! William still believes in him and Jacob is just starting....I never ever told Jennifer that Santa was actually me and James...she told me one day when she was ten that she didn't believe in Santa anymore. I was shocked and asked her why and she just gave me this withering look and said "Come on Mom - You'd let a big fat guy in a red suit in the house?? I don't think so..." :lol: :lol:

It was more traumatic for me than her :lol:

[ChristinaG]

Once we have children, we are definitely going to have Santa. I remember thinking I could hear his sleigh while falling asleep at night as a child on Christmas Eve. And all those presents under the tree on Christmas morning was SUCH a great thing! Yeah, we will definitely have Santa. :D

[kim]

we're going with santa. what the hell, i'm not religious so the kid needs some explanation as to why i'm putting up a tree and he's getting gifts :lol:

i didn't really push it this year, he just doesn't grasp it yet. next year will be a real santa-rama.

[Faye]

My DH and I decided to raise our children not to believe in Santa. My son doesn't miss out on anything and still loves this time of year. He likes to dress up like Santa and give out gifts. This year he told me that the wants to spend Christmas with me and his dad and his sister and doesn't care about the rest of it. Sure, I know that the gifts will be an added bonus and if he *really* didn't get gifts then he would be crushed. :lol: But he is a very thoughtful kid and realizes what is most important.

I don't mind that my parents raised me to believe in santa, and I loved every year getting excited about Santa coming and would even leave cookies out for him. But it just wasn't what I wanted for my own children and I definitely do not believe they are missing out on anything. The same goes for the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy. He doesn't believe in them either. He is definitely not missing out on anything. Those are just a couple times out of the year that we don't have to lie to him now. :) I like for him to thank me for his gifts and not someone that doesn't exist...especially since I'm the one who loves him all year long and takes care of him and nurtures him...and I'm the one who got out there and searched for the perfect gifts for him. I want to be the one he thanks for it all.

[ChristiH]

Oh heck yeah! We believe in Santa at my house...Jordan is all geared up for him to come and talks about him all day!

[Andrea1014]

We won't be doing Santa with our kids. My DH and I have a compromise. He was raised not celebrating Christmas (his religion celebrates the birth of Jesus on the Feast of Tabernackle in Sept.) So he never experienced Christmas. We do pretty much everything that goes along with Christmas but one thing he really didn't want to do was Santa. I can see his point (lying to our kids) but honestly I don't see is THAT big of a deal. I believed in Santa when I was little and I figured it out on my own that he wasn't real..It wasn't traumatizing at all to me. We plan to tell our kids about Santa, reading stories, watching the cartoons, but they'll just know he's not real.

[slblack75]

When I got older and didn't believe anymore, it was still so much fun to play along for my little brothers. "Listen -- did you hear that? I think I heard something on the roof!" They would go nuts! :lol:
Me, too. I have a brother who is 12 years younger than me & I loved keeping the secret & fantasy of Santa. We definately will do Santa with Austin.

[TaraF]

Our kids better believe in Santa till they have their own kids! :lol:

I really think believing in Santa is important... life seems to change when you stop believing. Christmas isn't magical anymore. I want the magic of Christmas to last as long as possible... I think I believe in Santa till I was 12! And actually, I've still never told my parents that I don't believe :)

Tara

[Natasha]

We do Santa. But I tried this year to get her to know what Christmas is really about. It didn't work since she asked about the elves making the presents. So maybe another time.

It is amazing to listen to her talk about seeing Santa and watch her get excited.

Natasha

[Cori]

We personally will raise our kids to believe in Santa, although I have a friend who is teaching her daughter that there is no Santa, and I understand her reasoning as well.

I was raised in a Santa home, and I never got upset with my parents for 'lying' to me. It's not necessarily about Santa himself, it just adds to the magic of the season. :nod:

[Mrs. Ashleigh]

We will do Santa at our house

[mcox]

We will have Santa in our home too. DH is a little unsure if he wants her to believe but I've changed his mind. I told him she will or else!!! :) He told me Christmas morning that he didn't think it was fair that the parents do all of the work and Santa gets all of the credit. :rolleyes:

Michelle

[Laura]

We will definatly teach our kids that there is a santa, but we are going to do what my mom does with my little brother: Santa only brings 4 presents and the rest are from mom and dad and other friends and family.

[Eva]

We will definately do Santa. I believe it is a magical part of Cchildhood and I don't want my children t miss out on it. I have never even thought that I was misled or lied to as a child by being told about Santa.