Should we tell our kids Santa is real?

[Infected Mushroom]

Not unless the parents themselves genuinely believe in his existence (a valid belief in that case, anything could be real).

Otherwise, it's a misrepresentation. If the children could be plaintiffs they would have a claim in deceit. Parents should tell the truth. Parents should not lie.

It's not that complicated.

[The Alma Mater]

Christmas trees as shrines ? And one makes offerings of milk and cookies.

Santa doesn't interact with the christmas tree.

He might however answer prayers. Dear Santa, for christmas I want...

[Sunarctica]

On the topic of Santa, anyone could able to calculate (if the person calculating has proper knowledge of physics and mathematics) that if Santa were to travel to every single house in the world in one night, he would have to go over the speed of light (around 1.16 times more, he would have to travel 353,000 tons including all the presents of every child on earth travelling at 650 miles per seconds), and even if he could go that fast, he would turn into a lump of charred dust since no physical object can withstand such air resistance. This would also heat up the reindeer int he same way as spacecrafts re-enter the earth, meaning that the reindeer would have to absorb around 14 Quintilian joules of energy.

Also, no, the belief of Santa is pure bullshit, and I doubt feeding children that kind of information would do much good, besides, why teach children something we have no scientific evidence of?

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You don't have kids, do you?

I'm 14, what do you think?

[Scyobayrynn]

I maintained all the fantasies for as long as possible with all my children.
Santa, BUnny, Tooth Fiary, Boogey Man, Lizard King, Coocooey, Hoop snake, Snow snake, just about everything you could think of .

Children are blessed with sincere wonder and joy, and fear, and as they age it goes away.

My oldest children arent afraid of anything anymore, and they miss it-- they miss santa because its just not as much fun once you know.

My youngest son(last of 4) still believes in santa, though I lost him on the scary stuff. Next year maybe it will be time, but for a little while he will get to have a fantasy of a pure friendly kindness.



I dont think it does any harm.

[Dumb Ideologies]

It's important to lie to children as much as possible to acclimatise them to disappointment early.

[Conscentia]

Christmas trees as shrines ? And one makes offerings of milk and cookies.

Santa doesn't interact with the christmas tree.

Yes he does - the presents are placed under it.

[Ifreann]

The real question is whether we should tell other people's kids that he's not real.

[Dumb Ideologies]

The real question is whether we should tell other people's kids that he's not real.

No, the real question is whether we should tell Santa that our kids are imaginary.

[Immoren]

The real question is whether we should tell other people's kids that he's not real.

No, the real question is whether we should tell Santa that our kids are imaginary.

Dangerously approaching deep philosophical waters.

[Ifreann]

The real question is whether we should tell other people's kids that he's not real.

No, the real question is whether we should tell Santa that our kids are imaginary.

But that would ruin Christmas for him and the elves!

[Dumb Ideologies]

No, the real question is whether we should tell Santa that our kids are imaginary.

But that would ruin Christmas for him and the elves!

They're just garden gnomes with batteries, I thought everyone knew that.

[Ifreann]

But that would ruin Christmas for him and the elves!

They're just garden gnomes with batteries, I thought everyone knew that.

Battery powered gnomes have feelings, too!

[Conscentia]

But that would ruin Christmas for him and the elves!

They're just garden gnomes with batteries, I thought everyone knew that.

They're solar powered, actually.
That's why they only work in Winter. They run out of power on Christmas, and spend the Summer charging.

[Prudetia]

There are millions of old guys who dress up as Santa and give presents every Christmas, so basically they are real. But the only thing is they are only dressed up and there's no "one true santa".

[The Nihilistic view]

I don't actually remember feeling devastated. I can't have been that bothered. Perhaps I thought it was a silly but fun concept to begin with.

[Old Tyrannia]

Childhood was a time when I truly believed there was magic in the world; I'd hate to deny my own children that. Let children have their short period of grace where the world is good and right and full of magic and wonder before we dump them into the shithole that is reality.

[Conscentia]

Childhood was a time when I truly believed there was magic in the world; I'd hate to deny my own children that. Let children have their short period of grace where the world is good and right and full of magic and wonder before we dump them into the shithole that is reality.

Why put them in a fantasy world of unrealistic expectations, when you could instead show them everything that already is wonderful in the world?
I watched a lot of nature documentaries as a child.

Children wouldn't miss out on anything as they don't know any different.
Needless lying to children should not be normal.

[Rhodisia]

Telling your kids that santa isn't real is obviously a liberal plot to destroy families.

[Pantoufle]

Well I don't think I'd celebrate the holiday period maybe a supplemental holiday which kinda takes features from some winter festivities in some indigenous cultures, some stuff from hannukah, incidentally Christmas, Yule (Pagan/Norse)... It would formulate just some winter end thing that maybe could use Santa or some other character.

[Conscentia]

Well I don't think I'd celebrate the holiday period maybe a supplemental holiday which kinda takes features from some winter festivities in some indigenous cultures, some stuff from hannukah, incidentally Christmas, Yule (Pagan/Norse)... It would formulate just some winter end thing that maybe could use Santa or some other character.

Why use Santa? It's not even a good myth. It's dull.
And It'd be better they knew you were getting the presents - then they might learn to appreciate their parents rather than to just feel entitled to gifts.

[Immoren]

There are millions of old guys who dress up as Santa and give presents every Christmas, so basically they are real. But the only thing is they are only dressed up and there's no "one true santa".

they are each one true Santa *nods*

[Pantoufle]

Well I don't think I'd celebrate the holiday period maybe a supplemental holiday which kinda takes features from some winter festivities in some indigenous cultures, some stuff from hannukah, incidentally Christmas, Yule (Pagan/Norse)... It would formulate just some winter end thing that maybe could use Santa or some other character.

Why use Santa? It's not even a good myth. It's dull.
And It'd be better they knew you were getting the presents - then they might learn to appreciate their parents rather than to just feel entitled to gifts.

True.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Well I don't think I'd celebrate the holiday period maybe a supplemental holiday which kinda takes features from some winter festivities in some indigenous cultures, some stuff from hannukah, incidentally Christmas, Yule (Pagan/Norse)... It would formulate just some winter end thing that maybe could use Santa or some other character.

Why use Santa? It's not even a good myth. It's dull.
And It'd be better they knew you were getting the presents - then they might learn to appreciate their parents rather than to just feel entitled to gifts.

Yea, no.

As in, they won't learn that.

[Caribica]

My family has always done this for generations, even before my Great Great Grandfather made the decision to move to the U.S from Germany, while I know he isn't real (I found this out at an embarrisingly late age of 12) the legend of Santa Claus is a nice little tale to help children appreciate the holiday season (And I can hold the whole naughty or nice thing over my kids heads of they misbehave) so yes, when I have kids I will teach them Santa Claus is real but I expect them to figure out he isn't real instead of traumatizing them (And I've seen that happen) thanks to the Internet and if they confront me with hard evidence when they're over ten I will fess up.

[Eastern Denmark]

Childhood was a time when I truly believed there was magic in the world; I'd hate to deny my own children that. Let children have their short period of grace where the world is good and right and full of magic and wonder before we dump them into the shithole that is reality.

Reality isn't a shithole, unless you are a non-Muslim in ISIS controlled land/things similar. There are plenty of nice things in life that are truly there, so why create fake nice things when there are good things in this world that actually exist.

How about the parents don't tell their children about Santa, but also don't take their kid to holocaust museums when the kids are 5 and believe in good always triumphing over evil.