Freethought & Rationalism Archive

K · 10-07-2002, 01:15 PM

My wife and I have never promoted the Santa Clause thing at Christmas time. It's not that we find anything particularly sinister or wrong with it. We just don't see a real value to making the holiday more "magical" with a mythical character. When are children are old enough to understand that Christmas is a holiday (generally two years old), we tell them that it's time to go to bed so that Daddy can pretend to be Santa Clause and leave presents.

Anybody else do anything along these lines? Anybody think we're destroying our kid's lives?

Ab_Normal · 10-07-2002, 01:54 PM

Even though I was an atheist during that period of my daughter's life, it didn't occur to me not to do the Santa thing. We don't do it very well, though - we open presents from each other on Xmas Eve (during our big party), then "Santa" leaves one present and fills stockings for the next morning after the kid goes to bed.

Personally, I twigged to the reality of Santa at approximately the age of 6 (woke up thirsty, went to get a drink of water and *boom*, there's Mom and Dad messing with presents). It doesn't seem to have scarred me for life. So I don't think you're depriving your children.

Edited to add: I am getting a little concerned about my daughter, though. She's nine and shows every sign of still believing in Santa. At least we skipped the easter bunny.

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Ab_Normal ]

xeren · 10-07-2002, 03:25 PM

Well I'm not old enough yet to want children, but when/if i do, i am definitely not telling them the santa claus myth.
Think about it. You're telling your kids to believe in this thing that cannot be proven to exist. As one of their biggest influences, you are possibly setting them on the track to believing in other things we have no evidence for.

I hope my future wife doesn't disagree with me.

MadMordigan · 10-07-2002, 04:04 PM

I'm convinced that Santa is a good object lesson for kids that people they care about will lie to them if they think its good for them.

Liquidrage · 10-07-2002, 04:49 PM

I never believed in Santa and I turned out ok.

Liquidrage · 10-07-2002, 04:51 PM

Sorry for the double post.
Bandwidth is all screwed up from d/l a sh1t load of beastiality flicks.

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Liquidrage ]

fando · 10-07-2002, 05:37 PM

If I had kids, I'd explain the Santa phenomenon as <a href="http://www.geocities.com/agsma/ax02-1.htm" target="_blank">cosplay</a> celebrating a traditional, colorful story. I will most likely take my kids to anime conventions, so this explanation would make tons of sense.

Evil Milkman · 10-07-2002, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Liquidrage:
Sorry for the double post.
Bandwidth is all screwed up from d/l a sh1t load of beastiality flicks.

Lol..

I believed in Santa up until about the age of 6 or so. No harm was done by believing in the character, and no harm will be done to your children, either. I say have fun with them and let them believe if they want to. I have really good memories of those times... Kinda makes me sad, actually.

(edited twice because i'm that bad)

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Evil Milkman ]

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Evil Milkman ]

frostymama · 10-08-2002, 04:20 AM

We actually tried to do the Santa thing, but ended up with a little skeptic. At 3 years old he told me Santa was "pretend like Pooh Bear". He won't believe anything just because "we say so". I have to convince him.

Sometimes that is a very BAD thing (teaching him the alphabet has been hell. He argues for 20 minutes that a "g" was really a "6". I was just holding it wrong.

"

Mediancat · 10-08-2002, 04:45 AM

Actually, I'm kind of glad I believed in Santa when I was young. Here's why.

The way I figured out Santa wasn't real was through National Geographic's kids' Magazine, World. I read (when I was about 6) that a lot of the mail addressed to The North Pole went to some city in the midwest called North Pole . . . and it hit me, that if the mail wasn't going to the REAL North Pole, that Santa had to have been fake.

It was a short step from there to the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny; within six months, God had also been added into that mix (while I'd been raised more or less areligiously anyway, I'd still HEARD of him, and heaven -- though the only description I'd ever gotten was that it was a place you could go and eat spaghetti all day.)

So figuring out about Santa Claus helped me in my later skepticism and atheism. It doesn't work that for everyone, but maybe if it was handled right . . .?

Rob aka Mediancat

10-07-2002, 01:15 PM	#1
K Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,485	Any other "aSantaists"? My wife and I have never promoted the Santa Clause thing at Christmas time. It's not that we find anything particularly sinister or wrong with it. We just don't see a real value to making the holiday more "magical" with a mythical character. When are children are old enough to understand that Christmas is a holiday (generally two years old), we tell them that it's time to go to bed so that Daddy can pretend to be Santa Clause and leave presents. Anybody else do anything along these lines? Anybody think we're destroying our kid's lives?

10-07-2002, 01:54 PM	#2
Ab_Normal Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,842	Even though I was an atheist during that period of my daughter's life, it didn't occur to me not to do the Santa thing. We don't do it very well, though - we open presents from each other on Xmas Eve (during our big party), then "Santa" leaves one present and fills stockings for the next morning after the kid goes to bed. Personally, I twigged to the reality of Santa at approximately the age of 6 (woke up thirsty, went to get a drink of water and boom, there's Mom and Dad messing with presents). It doesn't seem to have scarred me for life. So I don't think you're depriving your children. Edited to add: I am getting a little concerned about my daughter, though. She's nine and shows every sign of still believing in Santa. At least we skipped the easter bunny. [ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Ab_Normal ]</p>

10-07-2002, 04:51 PM	#6
Liquidrage Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Tallahassee Posts: 1,301	Sorry for the double post. Bandwidth is all screwed up from d/l a sh1t load of beastiality flicks. [ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Liquidrage ]</p>

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10-07-2002, 03:25 PM	#3
xeren Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Place Posts: 285	Well I'm not old enough yet to want children, but when/if i do, i am definitely not telling them the santa claus myth. Think about it. You're telling your kids to believe in this thing that cannot be proven to exist. As one of their biggest influences, you are possibly setting them on the track to believing in other things we have no evidence for. I hope my future wife doesn't disagree with me.

10-07-2002, 04:04 PM	#4
MadMordigan Beloved Deceased Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 2,704	I'm convinced that Santa is a good object lesson for kids that people they care about will lie to them if they think its good for them.

10-07-2002, 04:49 PM	#5
Liquidrage Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Tallahassee Posts: 1,301	I never believed in Santa and I turned out ok.

10-07-2002, 05:37 PM	#7
fando Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Los Angeles Area Posts: 1,372	If I had kids, I'd explain the Santa phenomenon as <a href="http://www.geocities.com/agsma/ax02-1.htm" target="_blank">cosplay</a> celebrating a traditional, colorful story. I will most likely take my kids to anime conventions, so this explanation would make tons of sense.

10-08-2002, 04:20 AM	#9
frostymama Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Georgia USA Posts: 927	We actually tried to do the Santa thing, but ended up with a little skeptic. At 3 years old he told me Santa was "pretend like Pooh Bear". He won't believe anything just because "we say so". I have to convince him. Sometimes that is a very BAD thing (teaching him the alphabet has been hell. He argues for 20 minutes that a "g" was really a "6". I was just holding it wrong. "

10-08-2002, 04:45 AM	#10
Mediancat Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Baltimore County, MD Posts: 19,644	Actually, I'm kind of glad I believed in Santa when I was young. Here's why. The way I figured out Santa wasn't real was through National Geographic's kids' Magazine, World. I read (when I was about 6) that a lot of the mail addressed to The North Pole went to some city in the midwest called North Pole . . . and it hit me, that if the mail wasn't going to the REAL North Pole, that Santa had to have been fake. It was a short step from there to the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny; within six months, God had also been added into that mix (while I'd been raised more or less areligiously anyway, I'd still HEARD of him, and heaven -- though the only description I'd ever gotten was that it was a place you could go and eat spaghetti all day.) So figuring out about Santa Claus helped me in my later skepticism and atheism. It doesn't work that for everyone, but maybe if it was handled right . . .? Rob aka Mediancat

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