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Teaching kids about Santa Claus

Teaching kids about Santa Claus

Spirituality

divegeester
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My sister-in-law posted some really cute stuff on Facebook earlier today. It was her daughters getting excited about Christmas and both parents were encouraging the children to believe in naughty elves and Santa etc. They have this whole day-by-day thing going on, where sweets and a letter are left out over night for the kids to find in the morning. My wife loves it, but I can't help thinking it's not right somehow.

What do Christians here think about this?

Rajk999
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Originally posted by divegeester
My sister-in-law posted some really cute stuff on Facebook earlier today. It was her daughters getting excited about Christmas and both parents were encouraging the children to believe in naughty elves and Santa etc. They have this whole day-by-day thing going on, where sweets and a letter are left out over night for the kids to find in the morning. My w ...[text shortened]... but I can't help thinking it's not right somehow.

What do Christians here think about this?

divegeester
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Originally posted by Rajk999
Harmless stuff that makes the kids happy .. it would be a sin not to do it

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to th ...[text shortened]... ght thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (Romans 14:5-10)
I'm not talking about the scriptural veracity of Christmas, so you don't have to bother with the quotes - but thanks anyway. I'm interested in the notion that it is considered morally acceptable to teach your kids something as being true which you know to be a lie and which one day could have a nasty effect on them when they realise it's all made up.

Rajk999
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Originally posted by divegeester
I'm not talking about the scriptural veracity of Christmas, so you don't have to bother with the quotes - but thanks anyway. I'm interested in the notion that it is considered morally acceptable to teach your kids something as being true which you know to be a lie and which one day could have a nasty effect on them when they realise it's all made up.

divegeester
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Originally posted by Rajk999
So what is the nasty effect of Christmas?
Nothing, I'm not talking about Christmas. As I said, very clearly I think, I'm talking about the morality of teaching kids about something you know to be a lie. Why are you being so furtive over this?

R
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Originally posted by divegeester
My sister-in-law posted some really cute stuff on Facebook earlier today. It was her daughters getting excited about Christmas and both parents were encouraging the children to believe in naughty elves and Santa etc. They have this whole day-by-day thing going on, where sweets and a letter are left out over night for the kids to find in the morning. My w ...[text shortened]... but I can't help thinking it's not right somehow.

What do Christians here think about this?
I thought about this when my kids were little. I taught them the truth because why give glory to a myth? I taught them God gets the glory in all things.
Today I have strong Christian kids( who are adults now) and grand kids ( who are adults as well) who love God and our Lord Jesus.
They are all church going and good people, no damage done by telling them the truth.

wolfgang59
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Originally posted by checkbaiter
I thought about this when my kids were little. I taught them the truth because why give glory to a myth? I taught them God gets the glory in all things.
Today I have strong Christian kids( who are adults now) and grand kids ( who are adults as well) who love God and our Lord Jesus.
They are all church going and good people, no damage done by telling them the truth.
They sound damaged to me - still believing in fairy stories.

Suzianne
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Originally posted by wolfgang59
They sound damaged to me - still believing in fairy stories.
Believing that God is a fairy tale is the damage being done today.

Believing that there is no higher power in the universe than oneself is the damage being done today.

Believing that there are no consequences for one's own actions is the damage being done today.

Great King Rat
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Originally posted by divegeester
I'm not talking about the scriptural veracity of Christmas, so you don't have to bother with the quotes - but thanks anyway. I'm interested in the notion that it is considered morally acceptable to teach your kids something as being true which you know to be a lie and which one day could have a nasty effect on them when they realise it's all made up.
"A nasty effect when they realise it's all made up"?

Seriously?? What kind of effects are you thinking about?

Should we also not let children watch Snow White, because they might think it's real?

Why did you ask this to Christians specifically?

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My kids have only ever seen Santa Claus as being a part of the commercial flurry that goes on in the place where I come from ~ through my 'testimony' or attitude, I suppose, and a Christmas trip a few years ago ~ and they are aware that the same flurry exists elsewhere too through TV.

divegeester
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Originally posted by Great King Rat
"A nasty effect when they realise it's all made up"?

Seriously?? What kind of effects are you thinking about?

Should we also not let children watch Snow White, because they might think it's real?

Why did you ask this to Christians specifically?
Im asking anyone actually. Not sure why I said Christians, must have just had that group on my mind.

I don't have kids so I'm interested in what people think who do. If I had kids I wouldn't want them thinking Santa was real and then experiencing what I've heard can be bitter disappointment when finding out its not real. Snow White is a cartoon, like Tom and Jerry. No parent tell their kids Snow White is real do they? Surely you haven't??

w

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Originally posted by divegeester
My sister-in-law posted some really cute stuff on Facebook earlier today. It was her daughters getting excited about Christmas and both parents were encouraging the children to believe in naughty elves and Santa etc. They have this whole day-by-day thing going on, where sweets and a letter are left out over night for the kids to find in the morning. My w ...[text shortened]... but I can't help thinking it's not right somehow.

What do Christians here think about this?
Why not teach them about the origins of Saint Nick?

divegeester
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Originally posted by whodey
Why not teach them about the origins of Saint Nick?
Are you going to actually contribute something or just goof around pretending?

Great King Rat
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Originally posted by divegeester
Im asking anyone actually. Not sure why I said Christians, must have just had that group on my mind.

I don't have kids so I'm interested in what people think who do. If I had kids I wouldn't want them thinking Santa was real and then experiencing what I've heard can be bitter disappointment when finding out its not real. Snow White is a cartoon, like Tom and Jerry. No parent tell their kids Snow White is real do they? Surely you haven't??
I also don't have children. I don't like them, and I don't understand a thing about them. And they never understand me. In short, I am not compatible with children.

Anyway, while parents may not explicably state that Snow White is real, for many young children it is very real, and unless the parents fear the children might suffer from nightmares, most parents don't go through a lot of trouble explaining how it's all fake. We're all children only once, with the imagination of a child only once. Why not use that? As they get older, children will easily understand that Snow White is fake.

With regards to Santa Clause, in The Netherlands we have a similar tradition called Sinterklaas and I too was once fooled yearly by my parents (and the neighbour, who would dress up as Sinterklaas) where I believed that if I put a carrot in my shoe in early December, Sinterklaas would come by in the middle of the night and leave presents for us. The carrot was food for Sinterklaas' white horse. Poor classmate whose parents were JWs and thus never experienced the fun. Last I heard, she lost all contact with her parents.

I was about eight when my parents told me it was all fake. I remember being quite angry and disappointed at the time.

Looking back, it's a wonderful tradition, and it tickles the imagination of the child to no end. Do you know that Sinterklaas lives in a castle in Spain? Do you know the sensation of being a six year old going on holiday to Spain with his parents and realising he is now in Sinterklaas' home country?

I have not suffered any negative consequences and I wouldn't have want to miss it.

Now, telling your children about how there is a higher being who knows everything you do, and never ever telling them how that's all make-believe...... there I see problems.

divegeester
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Originally posted by Great King Rat
Now, telling your children about how there is a higher being who knows everything you do, and never ever telling them how that's all make-believe...... there I see problems.
I don't have children. I was told that "God" was real and it has had no negative effect on me. I can now choose not to believe if I want to.

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