jrs2cents.com

Image by D’Arcy Norman

Being a Christian, I gave a lot of thought to how I would handle Santa with my kids. There are a lot of opinions on this issue and for me, I went with what made the most sense. In this article I will cover some of the issues I had with it and even some issues I have with those who do the same as I do but maybe take it too far. In the end I think it is important that you sit down and decide a game plan for it even if you already have kids and never gave that much thought to it before.

Santa is evil

No I do not think that Santa is evil. I have however heard this from some Christians. I think it’s wrong to run around telling everyone that Santa is evil and try to get him banished. I understand that some are concerned about him taking the light off of the true reason for Christmas. But what good does that do?

The way we treat Santa in our house is that he is no different than any other fictitious character, like Mickey Mouse. My kids love Mickey Mouse but they do not think that he is real. I have seen Christians who refuse to buy wrapping paper with Santa on it because “he is not real.” So they grab the Mickey Mouse wrapping paper instead. Seriously? If you’re going to ban fictitious characters let’s make it across the board.

When you follow the stories of Santa it was actually started with very good intentions. I’m not going to go into the whole story of St. Nick here but it is an interesting study, if you ever have time.  In fact Kriss Kringle comes from “Christkindl” in German, which means “Christ Kind.” Many of the traditions and names for Santa are rooted in Christianity. We simply teach our kids the real reason for Christmas, we even go over the fact that Christ was not born in December (Read post on this).  We also tell them who St. Nick was and what he did, that’s all. But please try to avoid the whole “Santa is the devil” thing.

We still buy the Santa wrapping paper sometimes, watch the Santa movies. We love Polar Express! I even have a Santa tie somewhere! But if you ask my kids what Christmas is all about, the answer you get is “Jesus!” They even have Santa tracts they like to give out with the gospel on it.

Never lie to your kids

This actually became the biggest reason we decided not to tell them he is real. I had a friend who once told me of the importance of always being honest with my kids. He said to never, ever lie to them. Even on things like doctor visits, we never tell our kids that the needle won’t hurt. We tell them straight up, it will hurt but it will go away. This has created an unbelievable trust between us and our kids. When we tell them something will be ok or it won’t hurt, they do not doubt us. They know we would tell them the truth.

That same friend told me a story of his daughter going to the doctor for something. I cannot recall what, but it was something painless. Maybe an X-ray or something like that. She asked him if it would hurt and he told her that it wouldn’t. She looked at him and said “I believe you daddy, because you never lie to me.” Right then he knew he was doing the right thing by never lying to her, even on things like Santa.

I gave it even more thought than that and realized a pattern. You see, throughout my kids lives I would be telling them that “Santa is real, the Easter Bunny is real, the Tooth Fairy is real and Jesus is real.” Then one day I tell them that “Santa’s not real, the Easter Bunny isn’t real, the Tooth Fairy isn’t real but Jesus he is still real…. No seriously he is…. No this is different than the others.” You see what I saw there? A stretch? Maybe, but not worth the risk to me.

What is magic now could be heart break later

I know, I know, they are missing the magic of believing in him right? The can’t hardly sleep sensation as you hope to hear him land on the roof. I thought of that as well but I also thought of how I felt when I found out it was all a lie. Not to mention how many parents use it to try and get kids to behave around Christmas time.

Do you remember when the news was broke to you? How did you feel? Some of you may have gradually stopped believing and it was no big deal. For some, it may have been a big deal. I remember when I found out. I was actually arguing with another kid about it, after a little league game. My dad overheard it and pulled me aside to break the news. Boy did I feel stupid! I was ready to fight some kid over Santa! Are the few years of wonder worth it?

My kids are just as excited about Christmas time, as I remember being. They’re not having any less fun than anyone else, in fact I love that they know so much about Christmas and it’s history. I love that they understand that friends and family paid their hard earned money to buy them gifts. Not some fat guy in a red suit. I want them to give out those hugs of appreciation to those who get them something. It creates a much better appreciation for the gifts.

Not everyone will agree with me on this and that’s ok. I do not think you are a bad parent if you allow your kids to believe in Santa. I do believe you’re missing out on something far better with them but you have to decide that for your family. But no matter what tradition you follow, just make sure they understand the real reason we celebrate CHRISTmas!

JR’s 2 Cents Newsletter Announcement (video)