Santa and the gang are no lie.
So, I had a few comments on my Easter Bunny post that I was lying to my children by telling them about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Apparently by doing this I was also encouraging my children to lie to me as I seemed to find untruths acceptable.
Here is my answer as to why Mr Point Five and I choose to procreate such myths…..
Our kidlets, as I’m sure do most of yours, watch fairy tales and cartoons on the TV. If not, I am sure they read the books and turn pages with wonder. You can see their little faces fill with delight and their breath is held in their chest as they imagine what could possibly happen next. Captain Hook perches precariously in the jaws of the naughty crocodile, Wendy is learning to fly thanks to Peter Pan and Tinkerbell needs her fairy dust sprinkles if she is ever to fly again. Snow White does live in the forest with the Seven Dwarves whose job it is to mine brilliant treasures and under the ocean, there is the Octopod where the Octonauts live alongside mermaids, talking crabs and sunken Pirate Ships. My G Man has just turned five, and to him I am sure, these characters are very real. They honestly exist for him. I don’t doubt it for a second.
Now just think – wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could somehow bring some of these stories and fairy tales to life? Make them real, really real, if only for a short time? How amazing and gorgeous would it be to incorporate these magical tales into his own sweet childhood!! But wait……
We can.
We can tell him the fantastic tale of Santa Claus who lives at the North Pole and travels on his sleigh with his reindeer each year to all the good little boys and girls. We can create magic at Easter with stories of the Easter Bunny and have real treasure hunts for chocolate jewels in our garden for lucky little boys. When G Man loses his first tooth, I want to take away some of the pain with the thought of a fairy who lives in a tooth castle made of lots of little boys and girls teeth from around the world (slightly gross as an adult I know, but I enjoyed this image as a child). I love that these stories can teach our children about belief – to contemplate things we cannot always see or touch. It is such a glorious and magical way for them to learn to think outside the square and to dare to dream. To wonder, what if…..
I know he wont believe in Santa Claus and the rest forever. Just as he will learn about Walt Disney and Pixar, and that the fairy tales he loves reading and watching are simply that, just made up stories. I don’t see it as lying to him, or encouraging him to lie to me in the future. I see it as allowing him to create a magical reality at home to enjoy and get lost in. I hope that he will love and thank me for helping him to have such a beautiful world in the years to come. Childhood memories of Santa and the gang are some of my most cherished.
He has all the time in the world to learn about the things that are real.
I hope you and your family have a beautiful, relaxing and safe Easter, whatever your beliefs.
I’m with you! My fun police parents debunked any Santa and the Easter Bunny myths for me when I was about three. I still wish they hadn’t. Xmas always seemed so much more magical in other kid’s homes. Me, I make up extravagant tales for my kids and allow them to choose what they do and don’t want to believe in. My son chooses not to believe in the Tooth Fairy but he does believe in Santa, that we could go scuba diving with the Octonauts and that if we ever go to New York we’ll be able to find real Ninja Turtles living in all their mutant glory in the city’s sewers. All these fantasy figures they believe in are good people/animals/things and teach important lessons about being decent and kind and fighting for what’s right. If they didn’t believe then these message wouldn’t have half the impact! Personally, I’ll be pushing the Easter Bunny & Santa until my kids are at least 35. 🙂
If you are referring to my comments regarding how I have approached these religious holidays with my children, I would like to correct one assumption you have erroneously made.
I never suggested that any parent who indulges in these social norms is lying to their children. Nor did I say your children would lie to you.
You asked a question, “what do you do when they don’t believe”.
I responded with how I have handled my children. For me, my personal context to my authenticity, dictates that I walk a balance between imagination, fantasy and reality.
Because we are personal friends, you know of my personal struggle in my adult life to overcome brainwashing and cult behaviour instilled in me as a child.
Perhaps because of this I am super sensitive to how I encourage my children to be critical thinkers. I also have to adhere rigidly to what I have determined for myself, because I have so little that I can hold as mine.
However, at no time in my comments did I suggest that everyone should operate on my basis, you have yours, your readers all have theirs.
However, asking for opinions and wanting people to interact with your blog and FB page, then being offended when they honestly share their methods or experiences, seems counter productive.
I have very different ways of doing things from a lot of people, but they work for me. Others do things they work for them. Plain and simple.
I always tend to feel, someone is only offended by expressions that challenge them on some level. But that challenge is not the responsibility of the person who shared.
I mean no offence, was not offensive with my original post, yet have been rude to by one person, and my comment condescended to by this blog.
Still, I will continue to share my experiences because if just one person takes something from what I share then I have made a difference.
With love and respect,
Monique
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Mon, it actually wasn’t your original comment I had in mind when I wrote this. It was someone else’s. Sorry if my post upset you thinking it was.
Oh, and I wasn’t offended by the other comment, merely perplexed and just wanted to clarify why we do what we do.
My kiddies will believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa and tooth fairy for as long as I can possibly manage it. I was in grade 2 when my teacher said that Santa wasn’t real and I went home from school that day in tears. The next day I took a photo of myself sitting on Santa’s knee to show her that he was, indeed, real! I think it’s sad when little ones aren’t allowed to believe in magic and fairies and wishes that come true, just because their parents don’t. They have their whole lives to believe in boring grown-up things, I think we should keep the magic alive for as long as possible.
Well said 🙂 I loved getting caught up in the magic as a child! When I was ready to learn the truth, I was ready. I then LOVED continuing the magic for my little brother who still believed with all his heart. I still feel like I believe today as a full grown adult and relatively new parent. It signifies a real innocence in our children and I love that. We have the rest of our lives to view things with a critical eye/ear and to become cynical. Our earlier childhood is a time of magic and wonderment that we look back on and treasure.
Oh I so don’t get why people have to think their way is the only way. I love the whimsy you’re talking about. But, to be honest we don’t major on Santa or Easter Bunny with our kids. They are there but we don’t put too much focus on them – but that’s just our way. You go girl. Love your notions and think your kids will look back on a fabulously magical childhood.
Nothing wrong with a bit of childhood magic 🙂 We love Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy at our house!
I believe – I still believe. I believe in the wonderful abundance of giving that Santa and the bunny allow us to bring to our children. Shared excitement, hoping for and memories. I believe in that Santa and the rabbit are real because they are in all of us. They are our collective imagination brought to life and passed on like magic. x
What a beautiful way to explain it when the kidlets get older. Goegeous. xxx
that would be GORGEOUS 🙂
I dont think so either xxx
Thank you – I hope they remember it well x
Yeah – I think G Man will be our biggest helper for Master J for a few years after he learns the “truth” 🙂 Well, I hope so anyways.
Naaaaaaw – so sad! Yes, its a tough world out there – let them have their magic. x
35!! Ha! The deal will be if they dont tell me they believe, then Santa and the gang just wont come 🙂